Hope
by Kedez
Summary: An ancient battle between StarClan and the Dark Forest ends in StarClan's defeat. The Dark Forest allow the Clans to live in exchange for a sacrifice. Can the Clans break the curse? Set in the old forest
1. Allegiances

ALLEGIANCES 

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER: LONGSTAR-black and white tom with a long tail

DEPUTY: TIGERHEART-small dark gray tabby she-cat; polydactyl

APPRENTICE, SKYPAW

MED CAT: LEOPARDCLAW-light brown tom with black spots

WARRIORS

OWLMOON-dark brown tabby tom with icy blue eyes

APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW

WHITEBLOSSOM-pretty white she-cat with green eyes

MOLEWHISKER-brown tabby tom

SABLECLAW-smoky gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, SANDPAW

LIONPELT-golden tom with orange eyes

KESTRELWING-dappled gray tom

APPRENTICE, NIGHTPAW

PINEFROST-dark brown tom

APPRENTICE, RAVENPAW

APPRENTICES

SKYPAW-blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

DAWNPAW-blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

SANDPAW-tawny tom

NIGHTPAW-long-haired black tom

RAVENPAW-black tom with a white chest

QUEENS

PUDDLEFOOT-pretty silver tabby she-cat, Kestrelwing's mate

GRAYKIT-longhaired gray tom

ASHKIT-dark gray tabby tom

DAPPLEKIT-pretty silver she-cat with darker splotches

TAWNYFUR-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, Molewhisker's mate

PLUMKIT-dark brown tabby she-cat

ROBINPELT-dark brown tabby she-cat, Pinefrost's mate

BLUESTORM-long-haired glue-gray she-cat with one blind eye, oldest queen

ELDERS

STEMTAIL-ginger and white she-cat with a fluffy tail, oldest cat in ThunderClan

RED-DAPPLE-lithe red tom, blind

SHADECLAW-black tom with no ears

CLOUDPATCH-once-pretty black and white she-cat

WINDCLAN

LEADER: FEATHERSTAR-beautiful silver she-cat

DEPUTY: GALESTORM-light gray tom with curly fur

MED CAT: EMBERFUR-skinny ginger tom

WARRIORS

SLEETFUR-handsome white tom

BREEZERUNNER-swift calico she-cat

RUSTCLAW-red-brown tom

ELDERS

WILDROSE-brown tabby she-cat

CRICKETSONG-tawny brown tom

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: CINDERSTAR-smoky gray tom

DEPUTY: STONEHEART-large black tom

MED CAT: MOUSEPELT-pretty light brown she-cat

WARRIORS

ROWANHEART-dark ginger tom with a white underside

APPRENTICE, MINNOWPAW

PEBBLECLAW-dappled gray tom with blue eyes

APPRENTICE, KOIPAW

QUEENS

SPLASHFOOT-pretty gray she-cat

ELDERS

SUNSTRIPE-ginger tom with dark tabby stripes

MUDPELT-long-haired brown tom

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: LIGHTNINGSTAR-bright ginger she-cat with orange eyes

DEPUTY: BEETLEFLIGHT-black tom

MED CAT: DOGNOSE-white tom with dark brown tabby splotches and a black nose, blind

WARRIORS

POPPYTHORN-light brown she-cat

FOXTAIL-ornery bright ginger tom

NIGHTSTORM-long-haired black she-cat

QUEENS

MINTWHISKER-pretty white she-cat

ELDERS

REDBERRY-long-haired red tabby tom

ICETALON-blue-gray she-cat with white paws

SKYCLAN

LEADER: COPPERSTAR-dark brown tabby tom

DEPUTY: YELLOWSTRIPE-yellow tabby she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: NETTLEWHISKER-brown tabby tom

WARRIORS

WOLFPELT-long-legged dark gray tabby tom

ELDERS

LEECHBITE-black tom


	2. Introductions

Hello! This is my first warriors fanfic that I've posted here. I've written dozens of them that are more...'accurate'...than this one. I don't really mind the faults in it. I had a dream about these two twin cats and decided to make a fanfic about it. If you noticed that the allegiances weren't very fleshed out, that's because the other Clans don't matter very much in this one. In fact, after chapter four, we won't really be seeing any cats other than the five that are chosen. I hope you like this! My goal is to quickly write this out and publish it so that I feel more accomplished with a finished story. I'm not going too in depth with details, as you can see with this first chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One **

_The scent of mouse bile made _Skypaw want to puke, but her pride and starvation kept the skinny cat from wasting what little food was lodged in her empty stomach. She gently kneaded the dry, cracked surface of the elder's skin, pulling off ticks as she went. These days, the elders weren't the only ones suffering from ticks, and she felt her own begin to squirm.

_Oh you're next_, she told them through gritted teeth.

"That's enough now, Dawnpaw," Skypaw heard a raspy voice murmur. She looked up to see Stemtail, the eldest of the cats in ThunderClan, a white she-cat with ginger splotches. Her long, fluffy tail twitched in amusement as she waved an apprentice away. "I'm clean now. Go tend to Reddapple: he's been complaining for weeks about his."

"Okay," the blue-gray she-cat replied. "Let me know if you need my help again."

Skypaw watched her mirror image nod and straighten herself. She and Dawnpaw were identical twins, each with blue-gray pelts and pale blue eyes. There were differences between them, however hidden they were. Dawnpaw, the prettier, softer of the two, had a longer tail by almost a mouse-length. Skypaw, the scruffier, sharp-tongued one, had a scar above her right eye. She'd scratched herself by accident trying to escape through the brambles as a kit. A few cats joked that her mother had scarred her on purpose. Their mother, Bluestorm, laughed along with the others, though everyone knew she'd never lay a claw on either of her precious daughters. The scar was almost completely hidden by Skypaw's fur, thus making it even harder for the cats of their Clan to tell them apart. Dawnpaw never minded being mistaken for her sister, but it angered Skypaw to no end. They were nothing alike.

Dawnpaw dipped her head respectfully.

"That's not Dawnpaw!" snapped Shadeclaw, the eldest tom and by far the most senile. He had a pelt as black and night and yellow eyes as bright as the sun. He flicked what little ears he had in annoyance. He'd lost the rest of them in a battle with WindClan. "That's Skypaw! You're always confusing them."

Cloudpatch, the youngest and prettiest of the elders, whom Skypaw was working on, let out a rumbling purr. "No, Shadeclaw," she purred. She trailed her white-tipped tail over Skypaw's shoulders. "_This _is Skypaw. Can't you see her scar?"

Skypaw smiled at the elderly she-cat. She had black fur like Shadeclaw, but her paws, tail, and part of her face were white. She was the mother of their current leader, Longstar. Skypaw favored her. She never mistook her for her sister, and she always strove to be sure that other cats saw the clear differences between them.

The black tom narrowed his eyes at them. "Oh. I see. Sorry."

Her sister let out a purr of amusement as she trotted over to Reddapple, a lithe red-brown tom. "It's alright, Shadeclaw," she said sweetly. She winked at Skypaw, who shuddered just slightly. "I don't mind being mistaken for such a pretty she-cat."

Oh the flattery. The worst thing about Dawnpaw was that she knew how to work cats. She always knew the right thing to say, which made her the more popular of the pair by far. Skypaw sneered at her from behind Cloudpatch's shoulders. The Clan thought Dawnpaw was the sweet, lovable she-cat she pretended to be, while Skypaw knew better. Why, during an assessment a moon ago, she lied that _she _was Skypaw, just to claim the larger pile of prey. When Skypaw found out, she demanded that Dawnpaw's mentor, a tom named Owlmoon, reprimand his apprentice. He muttered something that he would, but never followed through on it.

Skypaw secretly hated her sister. She wanted her life for herself, and Dawnpaw was making it very, very difficult.

"Aren't you a sweetheart," purred Reddapple. He was blind, but he recognized the voices of the other cats around him, thus he never confused the sisters. "I remember when I first met you two, when you were less than a moon old. You've both grown so much."

Stemtail scoffed. "Why all the nostalgia, Reddapple?"

"Oh, I always mutter like this before warriors' ceremonies," he purred.

His response made a fire burn in Skypaw's gut. That's right: Longstar told them yesterday that he'd make them warriors tonight at moonhigh, after the Selection. Skypaw clawed the ground in anticipation. The sooner she became a warrior, the sooner she could get as far away from her sister as possible.

"It's not just their ceremony, is it?" murmured Stemtail. "You're worried about the Selection, aren't you?"

The blue-gray apprentice stiffened. She hated when the elders talked about the Selection, especially since none of them were eligible. Before each Selection, the apprentices were assigned to the task of making the elders look prim and proper, to show off to the other Clans how well they took care of them. Elders were cats who had not only survived the forest and its dangers but also managed to skirt being chosen to die a cruel, bloody death.

Reddapple lowered his head. Dawnpaw went to work on his flank, a cloudy look in her eyes. Dawnpaw always fretted when they mentioned the Selection like a coward, while Skypaw ran battle tactics through her head. If chosen, she'd fight--to the death.

"I hate it when apprentices are chosen," he replied. "It doesn't seem fair."

"If the Dark Forest were fair, they'd stop the Selection altogether," replied Cloudpatch. "But StarClan lost. We pay this price for our freedom and for the peace to live out our lives, however short they may be."

"You two ever hear the story of that great battle?" asked Shadeclaw. He loved to tell stories, but he never quite succeeded whenever he tried. He forgot important details, changed outcomes, and forgot the ends to plenty of the stories he'd attempted to tell. He told terrible renditions of every story Skypaw heard as a kit, but his worst was the story of how the Selection came to be after the battle between StarClan and the Dark Forest. His tellings became more and more confusing as time went on until Skypaw was sure she'd never hear right out what happened.

"Yes, we have," Skypaw said, shooting her sister a glare, lest she give the tom any indication he was to continue.

Shadeclaw huffed. "You be sure to take your kits in here one day, young one," he went on. "It's something every cat must hear at some point in their lives.

_Hopefully those non-existent kits you're talking about won't die of boredom while you're at it, _Skypaw thought with a frown.

Cloudpatch touched her nose to Skypaw's shoulder. "I'm done now, thank you," she purred.

Skypaw nodded. "Would you like me to help you wash your pelt?" she asked.

"No, I think that I can manage on my own, thank you," Cloudpatch replied. Before Skypaw could walk away, she touched her tail-tip to the apprentice's cheek. "Don't be scared," she whispered faintly. "I've been through a lot of Selections, and here I am, still alive. StarClan will protect you."

The blue-gray she-cat shrugged it off. "I'm not scared, unlike Dawnpaw," she teased. "Even if I'm chosen, I'll fight."

Cloudpatch's eyes glowed with admiration. "I know," she replied. "That's why I'm scared for you."

Skypaw ignored her comment and surveyed the den. All the elders were free of ticks, their coats glossy and clean. They were all fatter and healthier than Skypaw would ever be. Food was scarce as it was, and the Clan prioritized their elders, hoping to showcase them as trophies to the other Clans. The more elders Clans' had, the luckier they were. Skypaw hadn't eaten in days just to be sure they had enough food. That would change tonight. The Clan saved up fresh-kill in order to have a huge feast before they went to the Selection. For one cat, it would be the last time he or she ate with their clan mates.

"We're just lucky we've got so many nursing queens this time around," meowed Shadeclaw. He started to groom himself. "That puts at least three she-cats out of the running."

"Yes, and then there's Longstar and Tigerheart," added Stemtail. "They're safe."

"Can we not talk about the Selection?" said Dawnpaw. Her sister caught the fear hanging on her every word. The elders turned to her, astonished at the horror in her voice, but Dawnpaw covered it well. "I hate to think that one of our clan mates is leaving us forever."

They softened their gaze while Skypaw rolled her eyes. _Mouse-brains, _she thought. "Oh Dawnpaw, it'll be alright," purred Red-dapple. "Perhaps they'll pick Puddlefoot, or Tawnyfur. They'll be pardoned, and we won't lose anyone. That's what happened to ShadowClan last year. Lucky cats."

"I hope so," muttered Dawnpaw. She backed away from the red elder. "Is that alright?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine now," Red-dapple replied. "Thank you. You two go wash up and get something good to eat."

The sisters nodded to each other and left the hollow, walking side by side. As they entered the camp, Skypaw changed her mind. She didn't want her sister to die. She just wanted her to get her own life and to leave Skypaw alone every once in a while. The two went to the stream in silence and washed the mouse bile off their paws. They re-entered the camp and noticed that the feast had started. The other apprentices were lying outside their den eating. Skypaw's stomach growled at the thought of food.

"Oi, Skypaw! Dawnpaw!" a tawny tom named Sandpaw called. "Come join us!"

Skypaw let out a purr and gladly took a mouse from the pile. Though small, it made her mouth water all the same. Dawnpaw took a finch. They made their way over to their friends. A voice stopped them. Skypaw looked up to see Owlmoon, that useless mentor of Dawnpaw's. Her sister's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"I'm going to go eat with him," Dawnpaw told her. "I'll be back later to share tongues."

_Don't hurry on my account, _Skypaw thought as her twin trotted off. The blue-gray apprentice joined her friends with a purr. Unlike Dawnpaw, who chose to spend more time with the warriors of their Clan, Skypaw was good friends with their fellow apprentices. She settled between two black toms named Nightpaw and Ravenpaw, who were the sons of their current deputy, Tigerheart.

"How was preening the elders?" Sandpaw purred. He was an only kit, his two siblings having died during birth. His father was taken in the same battle with WindClan that cost Shadeclaw his ears—and sanity, for that matter. His mother, Robinpelt, was back in the nursery, having just announced that she was having kits with Pinefrost. Sandpaw was ornery for the first few days, but he'd come to terms with it now and gone back to his cheerful self.

Skypaw snorted. "I hate it. Shadeclaw mistook me for Dawnpaw, and the lot of them smell like crowfood!"

"At least they _get _crowfood," muttered Ravenpaw beside her. He had deep brown eyes like his mother, and he was always worrying about food. "I'd even eat kittypet food if it meant filling my stomach."

Nightpaw leaned over and whispered in Skypaw's ear, "He snuck second helpings," the tom purred. "That fatty."

Ravenpaw swiped at his brother's head. "Who're you calling fat?" he hissed. "I'm half your size!"

With a mew of surprise, Skypaw rolled away just in time to avoid Nightpaw's lunge for his brother. She hopped over to Sandpaw's side. Neither apprentice worried: the two fought often for truly unknown reasons, and they never unsheathed their claws. Sandpaw shot Skypaw a look and rolled his eyes. They were about to break up the fight when a gray tabby padded over with a strange expression.

"I'm a bit confused," purred Tigerheart. At the sound of their mother's voice, the two sprang apart. "I wasn't aware that Pinefrost and Kestrelwing were assessing you two today based on your ability to tear each other apart."

"Sorry, Mother," quipped Ravenpaw.

"Sorry," echoed Nightpaw.

Tigerheart laughed. "It's okay," she purred. "I thought it was funny." The deputy turned her deep amber eyes on the other two. She nodded to the both of them, and winked at Skypaw. After all, she was her mentor. Tigerheart was by far the smallest warrior in ThunderClan, if not all the Clans. She was barely taller than her sons, who'd clearly inherited their height from their father. Tigerheart also had a strange pair of paws on her front. They had five toes instead of four like normal cats. They were white and often looked like Twoleg paws. Despite her small size, Tigerheart was quick, strong, clever, and very loyal. It's no wonder Longstar chose her as deputy. "Are you getting nervous yet, Skypaw?" she asked her apprentice. "It's a big day."

"I'm excited," Skypaw replied with a flick of her tail. "Has Longstar mentioned what my warrior name will be?"

"Not to me, at least," purred Tigerheart. She turned her eyes back on her sons. "Now, you two behave yourselves, alright? I'll not have you fighting at the Selection like you did at the last Gathering."

"Mother!" moaned Nightpaw. "I've told you! That Minnowpaw started it! She said that Ravenpaw was a better warrior than I am! I _had _to prove it to her!"

Tigerheart rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I forget sometimes that you're eight moons old," she scolded. She cuffed both her sons over the head with her tail. "No more fighting, got it? Or I'll put you on extra elder duty for the rest of your lives."

The two black toms straightened. Neither of them liked the elders very much, since they had nothing good to say about them. In fact, not many cats in the Clan liked the brothers very much in the first place. They accused Tigerheart of spoiling the both of them. While she did cherish her kits, as they were the only two from her three previous litters still alive today, she never spoiled them. Her threat was not empty. She'd make them do it and enjoy watching their punishment too.

"Enjoy your meal, you all," Tigerheart purred as she began to turn away. She stopped in her tracks. "Great StarClan…"

"What is it?" Sandpaw asked.

The deputy flicked her tail towards the corner of the camp, where Owlmoon and Dawnpaw were lying intertwined, grooming each other's pelts. Tigerheart grimaced at the sight. "That's disgusting," she growled. "That Dawnpaw is a flirt enough as it is! Owlmoon is a mouse-brain for egging her on like that!"

Skypaw nodded in agreement, narrowing her eyes. No wonder her sister was so eager to share with her mentor.

"Don't ever turn soft on me like that, Skypaw," purred Tigerheart. "I wouldn't be able to take it."

The apprentice nodded. "I promise I won't."

"Well then, I'm off." She stretched before leaving. "Be ready at moonhigh!" she called over her shoulder.

The second she'd walked out of earshot, Nightpaw and Ravenpaw visibly relaxed. They slumped their shoulders and let out sighs of relief. "I swear I thought she'd take my ears off," squeaked Ravenpaw.

"Nah, she'd just slice one of 'em in half," teased Nightpaw. "She's always liked me more."

Ravenpaw raised a paw to slash at his brother, but Sandpaw stepped in to stop them, his eyes narrowing. "Are you two daft?" he hissed. "What did your mother _just _get finished telling you? Stop acting like foolish kits and grow up! We're all sick and tired of your constant fighting!"

The black toms backed away from Sandpaw's fierce glare. Skypaw smiled. Her friend was brave and outspoken. One day, if the Selection didn't claim him, he'd be an excellent deputy and an even better leader. He snorted and turned back to her. "They're no fun to be around anymore," he grumbled. "Want to visit Mother in the nursery?"

Skypaw brightened. She loved the nursery, as she loved to play with the kits. She especially loved Tawnyfur's kit, Plumkit. The two of them once snuck into the forest and played Clan war before Tigerheart caught her and punished her by making her go on extra patrols for a moon straight.

"We should take them something good to eat," she suggested. "They may not know that the feast has started."

Sandpaw nodded and took a mouse from the pile. Skypaw dug through the bodies and found a blackbird she thought that Plumkit would like. She could play with the feathers once she was done. The apprentices left the two brothers to their food and padded into the warmth of the nursery. The first queen they met was Robinpelt. She was lying on her side, and she jolted awake when they entered.

"Oh, sorry to wake you," Sandpaw meowed. He gestured with the mouse. "I thought you might be hungry."

She purred and nodded. "Thank you, Sandpaw." Robinpelt turned and ran her tail across the silver-tabby pelt of Puddlefoot, the mother of Kestrelwing's kits. "Would you like to share?"

Puddlefoot nodded. "Yes, thank you." She moved over to sit next to her expectant friend. "It's so nice of you busy apprentices to visit us. Oh." Puddlefoot smiled at Skypaw. "That's right. You won't be an apprentice after tonight. Congratulations."

Skypaw dipped her head. "Thank you."

"Sandpaw, Sandpaw!" a tiny gray kit squealed as he clambered over his mother to barrel into the tawny apprentice. "We missed you! How come you didn't come earlier?"

"Yeah, you haven't visited us in so long!" mewed a second gray kit, this one a bit darker than his brother. The two hopped onto Sandpaw, and the apprentice let out a huff at the weight on his belly.

"Pile on Sandpaw!" squeaked the last of Puddlefoot's kits, a dappled gray she-cat.

She landed on him harshly, and Sandpaw grunted loudly. "I give up, I give up!" he laughed. "Let me go! It's too much! You strong warriors have overtaken me!" He rolled about on the ground to try and shake them. "Great StarClan you're powerful!"

The queens purred as they watched him finally get to his feet. He dropped to a crouch and raised a paw. "Hah-hah! I'm the evil ShadowClan leader Blizzardstar, and now that I'm back on my feet, I can take all three of you at once!"

"No you won't!" cried the longhaired tom. "ThunderClan, attack!"

All three kits sprang at him at once, and knocked him over a second time. The queens laughed as he playfully swiped at them. "He's so good with the kits," purred Puddlefoot. "I hope he takes one of them as his apprentice when he's a warrior."

Skypaw was about to agree when she felt a prod at her side. She looked down to see Plumkit, staring up at her with wide blue eyes. Plumkit was a pretty dark brown tabby with a lean body and long whiskers. She was beautiful and quiet. "Can I share your bird?" she mewed in a soft voice.

Skypaw set it down. "I brought it for you," she replied. "Here. When you're done eating it, we can play with the feathers!"

Plumkit purred and dug right in. Tawnyfur emerged from the back of the nursery where she'd been sleeping, judging by her half-open eyes and loud yawn. "Oh, hello Skypaw," she meowed. Skypaw smiled at being called by her name, not her sister's. Tawnyfur saw her kit eating hungrily at the crow and smiled. "Did you bring that for her?" Skypaw nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome to it as well," Skypaw said. "Please."

The queen wasted no time in joining her kit.

"Ah! I'm finished! You've taken my last life!"

Skypaw turned her eyes back towards her friend, who now lay on his side, dramatically twitching his body as if he were in death throws. "Good-bye cruel world! I go to join StarClan…" With that, he shut his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and pretended to be dead.

"We got him!" cried the longhaired tom triumphantly. "Slimey piece of foxdung! ShadowClan cats are nothing but no-good, rotten, crowfood eating--"

"Graykit!" Puddlefoot scolded. "Where did you ever hear words like that?"

Graykit cowered beneath his mother's glare. "Father."

"Is that so?" The silver queen flicked her tail as the rest of the cats in the nursery began to laugh. It was no secret that Kestrelwing had a loose tongue. Puddlefoot smiled weakly, though it was clear she was trying to keep it in. "I suppose I'll have to talk to that bad-mouthed mate of mine."

"Is Father in trouble?" asked the she-cat.

"Oh yes, Dapplekit," chuckled Puddlefoot. "I ought to take his ears off."

"Then he'd look like that awful Shadeclaw!" meowed the light gray tom. "He's no better than a ShadowClan cat!"

"Ashkit!" snapped Puddlefoot, completely mortified by her kits' words. "Shadelcaw is an honorable warrior who has served the Clan for many moons! Did your _Father _say that as well?"

Ashkit shuffled his feet. "Maybe…" Then he grinned. "But I agree!"

"What am I going to do with them?" Puddlefoot chuckled to Robinpelt, who'd finished her mouse by now.

The tabby she-cat licked her lips and shrugged. "I say let it happen. Kestrelwing's outbursts are amusing enough. Now we've got three times as much entertainment!"

Puddlefoot shied away as they all laughed. Skypaw felt prodding at her side again and looked down to see that Plumkit had finished and had feathers all over her chin. "I'm done!" she mewed.

"I can see that," Skypaw chuckled, wiping the feathers away with her paw. "There. Much better."

"Psst."

Everyone looked to Sandpaw, who'd opened one eye. "Can I revive now?"

"No!" Graykit pounced on him again, right on his belly. Sandpaw grunted in pain. "You're still dead, Blizzardstar!"

"Be gentle with my poor son!" chuckled Robinpelt. "He's got to travel to Fourtrees for the Selection tonight."

Everyone stiffened at the mention of the Selection. All the queens would be going as well, except for Robinwing. Although she'd only just moved into the nursery, the warrior code forbade expecting queens to journey to Fourtrees. Besides, why would she risk injuring her kits if she wasn't eligible in the first place?

"I think your mother was looking for you earlier, Skypaw," meowed Tawnyfur, hoping to change the subject. "I'm not sure where she went off to. She said something about needing fresh air after looking after these three for Puddlefoot today."

Bluestorm, Skypaw's mother, chose to stay in the nursery to help the other queens with their kits. She took warrior duties when necessary, but she told her daughters that she felt StarClan was calling her to protect what few kits ThunderClan had.

Skypaw opened her mouth to reply when the plants around the entrance shifted, and Molewhisker, Tawnyfur's mate, ambled in. He was carrying a mouse. When he caught sight of the unusually large number of cats in the nursery, he cocked his head. He set down the mouse to speak. "I wasn't expecting company," he chuckled as his daughter bounded over to him. "Hello, you. I brought this for you."

"Skypaw beat you to it," purred Tawnyfur, flicking her tail towards the apprentice. "We've already eaten."

"I'm sure these three would appreciate the mouse, however," Puddlefoot meowed, motioning to her kits. "And I think poor Sandpaw would be happy to have them distracted."

They glanced back at Sandpaw, who was still struggling under the weight of the three kits. "Oh, please spare me!" he chuckled. "It's too much!"

"Come on then, kits," Molewhisker purred. The three gray kits abandoned their punching bag at the prospect of food.

Sandpaw got to his feet. "Thanks," he chuckled, nodding to the brown warrior.

"Tigerheart told me to spread the news that we're leaving soon," Molewhisker meowed. "The sky's getting darker by the second."

Skypaw looked up and frowned. He was right. The Selection was quickly approaching. Something along the lines of fear churned in her belly, but Skypaw swallowed it down.

"Let's get out of here before these kits rob me of the rest of my fur," Sandpaw whispered in her ear.

She nodded, and the two apprentices bade fairwell to the queens and their kits before padding back into the camp. The warriors were all out now, sharing kills and grooming one another. Sandpaw caught sight of Pinefrost as he came towards them carrying a shrew.

"Don't bother," he told him. "I already brought one. Molewhisker's in there now."

Pinefrost purred and set the shrew down. "That's too bad," he chuckled. "I was hoping to see Robinpelt before the Selection. I've been so busy lately." He looked off towards the medicine cat's den. "Do you think Leopardclaw's had anything yet?"

"I haven't seen him," meowed Skypaw. "You ought to go check on him, in case he's knocked himself out with one of his experiments again."

The three cats purred at the joke. Leopardclaw, their medicine cat, used to be a very skilled warrior before Rubblefur, the previous medicine cat, had announced that he'd be taking him as an apprentice. It was unexpected and shocked Leopardclaw. When Rubblefur died, Leopardclaw was nervous for the first few moons before he settled into his new life. He often tried mixing herbs to come up with new cures for various illnesses. He managed to come up with a mixture of honey, poppy seeds, and catmint that saved the lives of Nightpaw and Ravenpaw when they became sick with an unknown disease as kits. His main issue was that he insisted on trying out his experiments on himself first. He often ended up knocking himself unconscious by accident.

"He sounded kinda sickly last time I spoke to him," meowed Pinefrost. "I think he's made himself ill on purpose again."

Skypaw rolled her eyes. The most annoying of Leopardclaw's faults was his strange need to make himself sick just to use his experimental cures.

"At least the only thing that's gone around lately was the cold," chuckled Sandpaw. "Imagine if Mother had greencough instead?"

"I'll go see what that crazy cat is up to," Pinefrost said. "See ya. Oh, and congrats, Dawnpaw. Tigerheart just told me you and your sister would be receiving your warrior names today."

Skypaw winced. "I'm Skypaw."

Pinefrost frowned and cast his gaze to the ground. "I-I'm sorry," he mumbled. "My bad."

He padded over, shrew in tow, and Sandpaw let out a hiss in his direction. "I really hate him," he hissed. "He's arrogant, foolish, annoying, clingy, loud-mouthed—"

Skypaw stopped him by tracing his mouth with her tail-tip. "Stop. I think he likes you. He's just worried about what you think of him, seeing as he's your mother's new mate. He's trying his best to be nice."

Sandpaw shrugged. "He could stop trying. That may make me like him more."

The tawny apprentice began walking back towards the apprentices' den when he froze, looking up at the Highrock where Longstar made his announcements. His eyes were locked on it.

"Sandpaw…?"

"One day, I'll be up there," he murmured. "All of a sudden I had this feeling when I looked at it that made me sure of it. I'll be the leader. I'll make ThunderClan great."

Skypaw purred. "I look forward to it, Sandstar."

Sandpaw smiled at her too. A spark flashed between them, and Skypaw felt a jolt race down her spine.

A split second later, the moment ended with a loud yowl.

"To me, cats of ThunderClan!"

It was Longstar, standing at his perch, black fur shining in the moonlight.

"I can't believe it's that late already," murmured Sandpaw. "It can't be."

Skypaw nodded slowly. There was no fighting it. In a few moments, she'd be marching to her first Selection.

_StarClan help me._

_

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_

Did you like it? Was it terrible? Can you predict what's going to happen? Please review! I don't mind if you point out grammatical errors! I welcome it as spell check and I are no longer on a speaking basis. I swear that the next chapter will go further in depth about the Selection, in case you're thinking, "What the hell is going on?"


	3. StarClan's Choice

Here's chapter two! I'm aware of two things now: Beetleflight, the ShadowClan deputy, has his name spelled wrong in the Allegiances. Whoops. Oh well. Here's the moment we've all been waiting for!

....Hopefully, haha. Please enjoy! And even if you don't, that's too bad!

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**Chapter Two **

_Mews of confusion echoed_ through out the camp as the warriors congregated beneath the Highrock. Tigerheart emerged from the forest to stand under her leader. Sableclaw, a smoky gray she-cat and Sandpaw's mentor, joined the two apprentices with a grim expression.

"Don't be scared, Sandpaw," she told him firmly. Though her tone was tough, Skypaw noticed a hint of fear in the way her fur stood along her spine. She lashed her tail about. "I seriously doubt that StarClan would pick a young cat like you to be killed. Or you, Skypaw."

"I'm not scared," grunted Skypaw. Even as the words left her mouth, her belly did backflips. How long could she feign bravery?

Sableclaw shrugged. "You know, Sandpaw, Longstar told me that _your _warrior ceremony isn't far off."

The tawny tom brightened. "Really?"

"Yes. He said that not long after tonight's Selection, he's finally going to make you a warrior. You just have one last assessment."

Sandpaw shot his friend an energetic look as his mentor padded off into the crowd. "I'm happy for you!" Skypaw purred. "It'd be silly if I moved into the warriors' den any more than a half-moon before you. We're about the same age, and StarClan knows you're a better fighter."

He let out a rumbly purr. "Thank you, Skypaw, but don't underestimate yourself. You're strong too."

They heard the shuffling of footsteps, and Molewhisker sat on Skypaw's left. Skypaw watched Puddlefoot as she stood at the entrance of the nursery with her three kits most likely bombarding her with questions. How soon until she told them the truly sinister secret the Clans shared? Graykit, the most troublesome of the group, tried to follow his mother, but Robinpelt hurried him back in. Plumkit gave the warriors a longing look before she too vanished inside. Once they left, Robinpelt would be the only adult in camp. Skypaw felt sorry for her. Although she liked kits, she hated the idea of having to spend all night with four of the most rambunctious kits ever born. Molewhisker shot his daughter one last look before staring down at his paws.

"I can't believe the night went so quickly," he murmured.

Tawnyfur sat next to him. She grazed his neck with her tail. "I know," she mumbled. "It's so strange."

"Cats of ThunderClan," Longstar boomed overhead. "It is time for yet another Selection. All cats are required by the warrior code to attend, and—" He stopped and frowned deeply. His green eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a single cat. "Where is Leopardclaw?"

"Here he is!"

Heads turned to see Pinefrost helping the spotted tom as he stumbled towards his Clan. Leopardclaw looked up with eyes clouded by exhaustion.

"He was asleep when I found him," Pinefrost meowed.

Leopardclaw tried to speak but yawned first. "I was trying to find a new cure for a cold," he explained. "And—" He was cut off by a sneeze. The Clan started to laugh as he wiped his nose with his paw in embarrassment. "Unfortunately, all it managed to do was put me to sleep."

Longstar rolled his eyes, but everyone could sense the humor in it. He loved his strange medicine cat, even if he ruffled his fur every once in a while. "Good. Now that we're all here, we will begin the journey to Fourtrees."

He leaped down, and the cats began to follow him out of the hollow. Skypaw heard Pinefrost meowing, "Don't worry, I'll stay here in case you lose your balance. We can't have you falling asleep at the Selection."

"Thank you, Pinefrost," Leopardclaw replied. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's fine," the dark warrior chuckled. "Just don't hurt yourself."

Skypaw let out a heavy sigh. She was beginning to feel the weight of the coming events. No matter how much Sandpaw hated him, she'd be grieved if Pinefrost was chosen. In fact, she'd be heart broken if any of her clanmates left ThunderClan for good. She looked up from her paws to see that Dawnpaw had joined her, trotting along with her head low and her tail dragging through the dust. She lost sight of Sandpaw, though she presumed he was some where near Sableclaw.

"What's got you upset?" growled Skypaw. "You seemed to be having a grand ole' time with Owlmoon."

"Shut your mouth," Dawnpaw hissed back. "My mate isn't of any business to you."

"Mate?!" Skypaw exclaimed. "How could—"

"Shhh!" Her sister silenced her with her tail and glanced around to be sure no warriors were listening. Whiteblossom, a pretty white she-cat, was the nearest to them, but she didn't even flinch. "Don't go screaming things like that. Yes, Owlmoon is my mate. We're in love."

"That's absurd!" Skypaw hissed. "He's your mentor! He's old!"

"Not that old!" Dawnpaw snapped back. "Only three Selections."

"Three! This is our first!"

"So he's experienced. Look, Skypaw, I love him. That's the end of it. If you refuse to accept it, then just stay away from the two of us for the rest of our lives! I don't care what you think."

Skypaw frowned. How adulterous! Luckily for Dawnpaw, a warm brush against Skypaw's pelt stopped any further arguments she had against her sister. Skypaw purred at the sight of Bluestorm, their mother. Bluestorm once had clear blue eyes like her daughters, but one was clawed out by a RiverClan warrior, and the other darkened with age. She had long fur and a long tail like Dawnpaw, but her fur was scruffy like Skypaw. Skypaw touched noses with her mother before Bluestorm greeted Dawnpaw.

"I almost missed the Selection!" Bluestorm chuckled. "I was off seeing if I could find the sparrow that I caught this morning. I buried it somewhere, and I couldn't for the life of me remember where it was. I wanted to give it to Tawnyfur. She needs it to keep little Plumkit healthy."

"Sandpaw and I took the queens and kits food," Skypaw replied. "They were well-feed when we left."

Bluestorm purred in praise. "How kind of you. You'll make such an excellent mother one day, Skypaw."

Skypaw cringed. _Yeah right. _

"I've got some good news for you, Mother," Dawnpaw meowed. "You'll have to wait until after my warrior ceremony to get it though!"

Bluestorm frowned. She hated waiting for anything. "Alright. Will it make me happy?"

"I hope so."

"Then I'm excited for it." She brushed both their flanks with her tail. "I love you both very much."

"It'll be fine, Mother," Skypaw said, somewhat uncertain. "Neither of us will be chosen."

"I pray to StarClan that you're right," murmured Bluestorm. "Now, I've got to talk to Whiteblossum about something." She touched her nose to their cheeks before leaving.

"Are you so sure it won't be us?" whispered Dawnpaw.

"Stop being such a coward," Skypaw hissed. "I'm not scared of dying for my Clan. It's a natural thing. We'll be expected to fight to the death when we become warriors anyway."

Dawnpaw frowned. "I won't. I want to have kits as soon as possible."

Skypaw couldn't believe her sister's fear. She was so scared of the Selection that she was willing to shut herself out of the world? Even if there was a possibility of death, Skypaw was determined to become the best warrior she could be.

The sisters traveled in silence until at last Fourtrees appeared. By the scents on the wind, Skypaw could tell that RiverClan and WindClan were already there. The closer they got, the better view she had of the gathered cats. She spied Featherstar and Cinderstar, the WindClan and RiverClan leaders, perched already, staring blankly out into the forest. There was very little conversation.

"Don't worry," Kestrelwing, the dappled gray tom, meowed as he padded alongside Skypaw. He'd caught her solemn look. "There's never a whole lot of talk going on here. Everyone's still sulking about the Selection."

"Are you scared of being picked, Kestrelwing?" Dawnpaw asked.

The tom shrugged. "If I am, I am. It's a thing of life."

Skypaw smiled at his answer while Dawnpaw cringed.

The plunged into the clearing with Longstar and Tigerheart at the head. Longstar leapt up to join the other two leaders while Tigerheart sat by Galestorm and Stoneheart, the deputies. Dawnpaw disappeared, so Skypaw sought out Sandpaw, who was sitting near a group of WindClan cats.

"I hope Breezerunner will be picked this year," hissed a red-brown tom named Rustclaw. He gestured with his tail to calico she-cat who was talking to Whiteblossum and a few RiverClan cats. "She's always talking badly about the Dark Forest, and she let that Foxtail of ShadowClan waltz off our territory after we caught him sneaking prey!"

"That's horrible!" cried a white WindClan tom. "She showed mercy! She doesn't deserve to die!"

Rustclaw narrowed his eyes. "Do you prefer if it were you, Sleetfur?"

Sleetfur balked. "N-No."

"Then shut your mouth. I hope it's Breezerunner, and that's that."

Skypaw frowned. She settled down next to Sandpaw, who looked equally as horrified by the tom's words.

"Who do you RiverClan cats reckon will be picked?" Rustclaw asked. He directed his question at a gray tom with blue eyes.

The tom shrugged. "I've got no idea," he replied. "I hope it's not my apprentice. She only just started her training."

"Hey, look!" cried a RiverClan she-cat. "ShadowClan are here!"

Sure enough, the ShadowClan cats were racing down into the clearing, Lightningstar at their head. As her name suggested, she had a bright pelt that shone even in the darkness. Her deputy, Beetleflight, went over to where Tigerheart, Stoneheart, and Galestorm had been whispering amongst themselves. They stopped the second he came over.

"There's that Dognose," meowed Sandpaw. "I still can't get over how funny he looks."

Dognose, the ShadowClan medicine cat, walked into a shaft of moonlight, and his cloudy, blind eyes illuminated. He had an ivory white pelt with dark tabby splotches along his flanks and on his tail. His most distinctive feature was a black nose that could, supposedly, scent a droplet of blood from across the border. He walked over to Leopardclaw, Mousepelt, the RiverClan medicine cat, and Emberfur, the WindClan medicine cat. The ShadowClan cats mingled with the others, and Skypaw recognized a few of them. She didn't know many of the cats outside ThunderClan because Tigerheart insisted that she not become attached to any of them. She spotted Poppythorn, a light brown she-cat that was kind to her at her first gathering. She went over to Whiteblossum's group. Their elders joined Red-dapple and the others.

"It won't be long before SkyClan are here," said Rustclaw. "Then we'll see whose picked this year."

Skypaw swallowed. It was happening so fast!

A yowl signaled the arrival of SkyClan, led by Copperstar and Yellowstripe. Of all the Clans, Skypaw knew the least about the long-legged bird hunters. She didn't know why. Perhaps because SkyClan stuck to themselves and rarely engaged in border fights. She knew their medicine cat, Nettlewhisker. And she recognized Leechbite, their only elder. A fire swept through SkyClan territory three moons ago, and three of the elders were too weak to escape the flames. Leechbite proudly walked into the group of elder cats.

Copperstar joined the other leaders, and Featherstar yowled for silence.

"Cats of all Clans," her pretty voice called. "It is time to begin the Selection. I, Featherstar of WindClan, will go first."

She jumped down from the rock and stepped up to a small puddle. The puddle never drained, and the reflection of the moon shone down in it every gathering to remind the cats of the Selection even in lighter days. Featherstar reached out and placed her paw in the water. The clearing fell silent. A moment later, Skypaw saw a distorted white figure appear on the water's surface.

Featherstar lifted her head with saddened eyes. "Sleetfur."

Skypaw whipped her head around to the handsome white tom that had spoken earlier. He stared with shocked blue eyes before his clan mates' murmurs of encouragement brought him forward. He stood before the puddle and his leader. Skypaw saw him trembling.

"Do you accept your fate as a sacrifice to save your Clan?" Featherstar asked.

"I-I-I do," stammered Sleetfur.

Featherstar touched her nose to his and stepped back. Sleetfur remained standing before the puddle, waiting for the representatives from the other Clans. Every cat could see the fear in his eyes.

A cat from each Clan will be chosen. Tomorrow, at sundown, the five cats, the medicine cats, and the leaders will all journey to the place where the Moonstone once stood. The five cats will enter the cave, which is rumored to be filled with all kinds of monstrous things, things that can tear a cat apart with one swipe. No cat has ever come out. It is tradition, however, for the medicine cats and leaders to wait outside the exit in the slim chance that one of the chosen survive. This is fueled by the prophecy of StarClan, telling that the day a single cat survives is the day the curse will be broken forever, and the Selection will cease.

Skypaw felt pity for Sleetfur overwhelm her as Cinderstar stepped down. He reluctantly placed his paw in the water. After a pause, a ginger shape appeared on the water. He murmured something no cat could hear before he lifted his head and said, "Rowanheart."

Yowls of dismay sprang up in the RiverClan warriors. Skypaw watched a rather handsome ginger tom with a white underbelly begin to make his way towards the pool. Unlike Sleetfur, he kept his fear, if he felt any at all, to himself. He was suddenly stopped by a gray she-cat who jumped into his path.

"No, no you can't!" she cried. "Please appeal! Don't leave me!"

Rowanheart rubbed his cheek against hers. "It's alright, Mother," he said quietly. "StarClan have called me. I don't mind answering."

"No, please!" the she-cat persisted. "Don't leave!"

A calico apprentice appeared beside the frantic queen. "I'll calm her down," she said stiffly. "You…you go."

Rowanheart dipped his head. "Thank you, Koipaw."

Koipaw shielded the queen from further interrupting his journey to the pool. All the while, RiverClan cats wished him good luck and whispered their condulances. Rowanheart ignored all of them and stopped in front of Cinderstar.

"Do you accept your fate as a sacrifice to save your Clan?" Cinderstar said.

"I do."

The leader touched his nose, and Rowanheart sat beside Sleetfur. The RiverClan warrior leaned over and whispered something into his ear, but Skypaw couldn't hear it. Sleetfur nodded slowly.

Next, Lightningstar jumped down. She too tapped the water, and Skypaw saw a black smudge on the water's surface. She then said something to herself and yelled, "Nightstorm."

ShadowClan cats cried out as the RiverClan cats had. Skypaw saw a longhaired, black she-cat making her way through the crowd. At first glance, Skypaw thought she was Shadeclaw. They had the same pelt color and the same bright yellow eyes. Nightstorm showed no fear and was at her leader's side instantly. She looked almost eager, as if she relished the chance to take on the warriors of the Dark Forest, even if it meant certain death.

"Do you accept your fate as a sacrifce to your Clan?"

"I do."

Thus, Nightstorm took her place as the third chosen cat.

Skypaw suddenly felt nervousness overtake her. Sandpaw pressed his pelt against hers. This left just Copperstar before Longstar stepped up to steal one of her friends away forever. All of a sudden, she understood what Rustclaw meant. She wanted Owlmoon, or Lionpelt, whom she didn't like, to be chosen in place of her friends of kin. She didn't care if they died as long as her mother, Dawnpaw, and Sandpaw stayed with her.

Copperstar stepped down towards the puddle. When he touched it, a gray tabby appeared.

"Wolfpelt," he said sadly.

Skypaw watched a gray tabby tom with very long legs weave through the crowd. He had a certain amount of horror etched into his face, but he wasted no time in getting there, even though a few persistent cats slowed him down with their whispering. He nodded to Copperstar when he arrived.

"How awful," murmured Rustclaw beside them. "Wolfpelt was his apprentice, you know."

Skypaw lowered her gaze at the thought. It never crossed her mind that the Selection would be this painful. She just knew that the warrior code demanded that she experience at least one before receiving her warrior name. She'd chosen to push this moment out of her mind her entire life, and now that it was here, it shocked her. She looked up and noticed that Copperstar had already said the ceremonial words, and that Wolfpelt was saying something to Nightstorm, who looked uninterested.

"Our turn," Sandpaw whispered as Longstar stepped down.

Skypaw stiffened and buried herself further into his pelt. "I don't want it to be you."

"You either," he said back. "It'll be okay. I can feel it. Neither of us are going to be chosen."

"How do you know that?" Skypaw suddenly snapped, fear melting into anger. "Don't you think Sleetfur said the same thing before he was chosen? Or Nightstorm? Or any of the others?"

Sandpaw turned his eyes on her, and Skypaw froze. "I just know, Skypaw," he said. "You're not going to be picked. I just know."

Skypaw wanted to retort, but she saw out of the corner of her eye that Longstar had placed his paw in the puddle already. She shut her eyes and prayed frantically that her name not be called. She prayed that she'd get the chance to become a warrior. She prayed that she'd be able to teach Plumkit to be a great cat.

And, deep down, she prayed that one day she'd have the courage to tell Sandpaw she loved him.

All of a sudden, it was over, and ThunderClan cats all around her were howling with outrage, Sandpaw included. He leapt to his feet and left Skypaw cold, stuck in her place. She hadn't even heard who'd been chosen. She searched the faces all around her and found similar shock even in the eyes of the other Clans. The more she looked, the more confused she became. Half of them were looking at her with pitiful stares. Her heart began to race. Had she been chosen? Was this the end? But then she noticed something strange. The other half were looking somewhere else, somewhere towards the leaders. Not even Longstar was looking at her. She was about to ask Sandpaw what was going on when all of a sudden she heard Owlmoon wail in agony.

"No!" he shouted. He thrust himself in front of a small, shaky figure who had been trying to reach the puddle. "I won't let you! I won't let you take her! I won't let you!"

Skypaw suddenly understood.

"Dawnpaw," she whispered as she recognized her carbon copy. "No!"

* * *

See that coming? I hope not. I wanted to make it a surprise :( Please R&R! Oh, and Wolfpelt's name is wrong, I know. It's Wolfheart in the allegiances, but there's already a cat with that name in the canon series, so I changed it.


	4. Red Dawn

Here's chapter three! I forgot to say that Warriors is (c) to Erin Hunter, but all characters and plot are (c) to me. Please enjoy and R&R!

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**Chapter Three **

_Skypaw was vaguely _aware of Longstar shouting something, but her eyes and ears were trained on her sister, searching for some kind of reaction. Where she thought she'd seen fear was only sheer disappointment. Dawnpaw stood rigidly and watched her mate fight Longstar. Something brushed against Skypaw's flank, and she turned to see Sandpaw, frowning deeply at her.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered hurriedly.

Skypaw blinked lethargically. She couldn't find the words to respond.

"Owlmoon, get a hold of yourself!" Longstar yowled. "If you wanted to protect your apprentice so badly, why didn't you volunteer yourself at the beginning of the Selection?" Warriors were allowed to volunteer to be chosen before their leader stepped forward. The elders said it happened every few years, but not tonight. Not in time anyway. "What's done is done now, Owlmoon. You have to let her go."

Surprisingly, Skypaw searched the crowd and found her mother a long ways away, sitting there, frozen. Whiteblossom nudged her shoulder, and she came to life, letting out a hollow wail. She raced over to where her daughter was.

"Sh-Should I go too?" Skypaw murmured.

"Do you want to?" Sandpaw asked.

"No."

He pressed against her again. "Then don't. Stay right here. I've got you."

They watched as Bluestorm herded a distraught Owlmoon aside to allow Dawnpaw to step up to the puddle.

"Do you accept your fate as a sacrifice to save your Clan?"

Dawnpaw stood silently for a pause. Would Longstar appeal? Every once and a while, a leader could appeal to have the choice changed, but it often had bad side effects for the rest of the Clan. For example, a WindClan leader appealed to have his mate saved, and another warrior was chosen. When the leader's mate had their three kits, the Dark Forest took them as well, to punish him for his selfishness.

"I-I…" Dawnpaw swallowed. "I do."

Longstar reached forward and touched her nose. Skypaw saw him whispering to her and wondered what he said. Then Dawnpaw turned, her head low, and stood in line with the other cats. All five of them straightened under the gazes of so many cats. Skypaw scanned them all and mentally willed them to protect her sister, to let her die painlessly. She wished she could say something to them, but all too soon they parted, and the Clans began to trudge back to their camps. Sandpaw nudged her.

"The Clan is leaving," he mumbled. "Come on."

Skypaw remained still. She stared blankly at the moon, anger burning within her. _Why didn't you pick me? _she growled to StarClan. _We're enough alike as it is! Take me and let her live! _

"Skypaw," she faintly heard Sandpaw meow. "Skypaw, everyone's left. Hurry up."

"Oh." She looked around to find them alone in the clearing. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he whispered. "I understand. We'll walk slow."

"No." Skypaw leaped to her feet. "I need to be with her!"

She started running and heard Sandpaw yelling after her. The forest blurred as she raced as fast as her legs could take her towards the camp. She ran faster and faster until she thought her limbs would snap. All the while, she heard Sandpaw yelling, heard Sandpaw crashing behind her, and knew that she would need him if she was going to survive the coming days.

At last she burst into the camp to find her Clan in chaos. Owlmoon was still shouting at Longstar, Bluestorm was crouched over a sobbing Dawnpaw, the elders were whipped up in a frenzy muttering something about a prophecy, the kits were bouncing around from cat to cat and asking questions, and Leopardclaw was darting about trying to get Dawnpaw to take some poppy seeds to calm her down. Skypaw ignored Sandpaw's insisting that she stop and raced over to her sister.

"Dawnpaw!" she gasped. "I—"

"Don't," her sister growled. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to be around you!"

"It's going to be okay, it will!" Skypaw told her. "You'll be fine!"

"I'm going to die!" Dawnpaw howled. It was loud enough that every cat, even Owlmoon, stopped whatever they were doing and stared. "Stop telling me it'll be fine! I wish it were you instead of me! You always told me how you wanted to fight, but I just want to live! I don't want to die like this!"

"Dawnpaw…" Skypaw began.

A blur of blue was Skypaw's only warning before her sister's claws tore right through her right cheek. She shrieked in surprise and leapt back. Blood began to pour down the side of her face. Dawnpaw raised her head and narrowed her eyes at her. "Get away from me!" she shouted. "Get her away from me!"

"Come with me," Sandpaw whispered into Skypaw's ear. She nodded and followed him into Leopardclaw's den, where Skypaw broke down on the ground and started to sob. Sandpaw stood over her with his tail on her shoulders. He knew better than to try and calm her down with words.

The plants around the entrance rustled and Robinpelt entered, her eyes wide. "What's happened?" she asked her son, who stared at her with a blank expression. "Sandpaw? What's happened? Who was chosen?" She became frantic when he didn't reply. "Sandpaw! Was it you?"

"No," he mumbled. "It…It was Dawnpaw."

"Great StarClan…" Robinpelt looked around him. "What's this?! How'd she get hurt?"

"This is Skypaw, Mother," Sandpaw hissed.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I know the difference, thank you," she retorted. "What's happened to Skypaw?"

"Dawnpaw hit her," he replied. "She yowled something about how she wished it was Skypaw who'd been chosen instead of her. Then she hit her. She kept screaming about how she wanted Skypaw gone, so I led her in here. Is Leopardclaw still out there?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Leopardclaw meowed as he jogged into the den. "Ah. There she is. I saw Dawnpaw hit her, and then I lost her when Lionpelt said something. He…" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. I'll get some cobwebs to stop the bleeding."

He squeezed into the crack in the rock and emerged with a paw swathed in cobwebs. "Skypaw," he meowed softly. "Let me see your face."

Skypaw gingerly lifted her head. The entire right side of her face was covered in blood, including areas where she'd smeared it onto her muzzle and forehead. Leopardclaw let out a sigh. He gently began to smother the wound in the cobwebs. Skypaw staid still and let him work. Every few moments she sniffed loudly and shut her eyes. Robinpelt motioned to her son and led him outside. Once there, she stopped him.

"You love her, don't you?" she asked outright.

Sandpaw blinked. "Mother…"

"Don't lie to me."

"Okay…uh, then yes, yes I do. This is sudden. Why ask me like this?"

"Because I want you to be there for her in the next few months, to take care of her. She'll need that of you. She'll need a shoulder to cry on."

Sandpaw narrowed his eyes. "Like you needed Pinefrost?"

"Yes," Robinpelt mumbled, unashamed. "Like I needed Pinefrost."

Sandpaw looked over his mother's shoulder to see that Bluestorm had led Dawnpaw out of the center of the camp. Owlmoon was missing too, and Longstar was standing at the base of the Highrock. He flicked his tail to call the Clan together. There was no real reason to call to them, as every cat was gathered already. Sandpaw padded over to sit beside Sableclaw and Molewhisker.

"What's this all about?" he asked.

"The elders keep saying that this is the prophecy," Sableclaw replied.

"Prophecy?" Sandpaw echoed. "What prophecy?"

"_On the fated day, Dawn will break, and tears will fall from the sky to wash away the curse,_" Molewhisker recited. "It's been passed down from medicine cat to medicine cat every since the day the Selection started. The elders think that the 'dawn' means Dawnpaw, thus they won't allow Longstar to repeal the choice."

"Does that mean that Dawnpaw is the cat that's going to live?" Sandpaw asked hopefully.

"Maybe," Sableclaw meowed. "That's what we all hope."

"Cats of ThunderClan, I understand your sorrow over such a young cat being chosen for the Selection. However, as Reddapple said, there is hope. It is possible that Dawnpaw is the cat of the prophecy. If so, she will be spared."

Whiteblossom leaped to her feet. "And what if she'd not!"

"What if she dies like the rest of them?!" shouted Pinefrost. "She's too young!"

"She's old enough to be a warrior!" Longstar snapped back. "Thus, she's old enough to fight like one. I-I…I don't want Dawnpaw to die." He shook his head lightly. "I think this is awful, and I don't want to go through with it. But I can't deny the possibility. I _want _Dawnpaw to be the cat of the prophecy. Don't the rest of you?"

The cats began to murmur amongst themselves as Longstar slid down from the rock. He searched the crowd and found Sandpaw. He padded over. "Where is Skypaw? I saw you leading her off."

"She's in Leopardclaw's den."

"Tell her that her warrior ceremony will be tomorrow," the black-and-white tom said. "I don't want to make them sit vigil, seeing as Dawnpaw will be needing her strength to…to survive."

"I'm sure that this is the end of it," Sableclaw affirmed. "It has to be."

"Don't worry about what Whiteblossum and the others say," Molewhisker went on. "We trust you, Longstar. I'm sure Dawnpaw does to. There's no need for you to repeal. We support you."

He waved their words away with a flick of his tail. He vanished back into the crowd, confronting Lionpelt and Pinefrost who had stepped up to speak to him. Sandpaw snorted loudly.

"I'm…I'm going to see Tawnyfur and Plumkit," Molewhisker mumbled. "Give Skypaw my condulances."

"I'm sure she doesn't want them," Sandpaw replied with a weak smile.

The tabby smiled back before he trotted over to the nursery. Sableclaw turned to her apprentice and was about to say something when they were interrupted by some cat calling Sandpaw's name. He turned to see Leopardclaw coming towards them.

"Skypaw asked for you," he explained. "You ought to go lie down with her. She's pretty upset."

The tawny tom nodded.

Sableclaw touched her nose to his flank as he left. He let out a purr at his mentor's show of affection and hurried to the medicine cat's den with Leopardclaw lagging behind him. He entered to find Skypaw curled up in a blue-gray ball, her face hidden by her paws and tail. He inched closer.

"Skypaw?" he whispered. She uncurled and looked up. Her face was covered in cobwebs, and her eyes were swollen with tears. "Hey. It's me. Don't worry: I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here."

"I don't want her to die," Skypaw murmured. "I don't want her to die!"

"She's not going to," Sandpaw replied. He wrapped his body around hers and began to lick her good cheek. "StarClan are going to protect her. She's going to come back to us."

Skypaw sniffed. "How do you…how do you just know things sometimes?" she mumbled. "It's kinda…kinda freaky."

He purred. "I don't know," he replied. "I just do. I get really strong feelings about things, and I have a good feeling that the curse is ending soon."

"Really?"

"Yup. In fact, I'm willing to bet three rabbits that this is the last Selection—ever."

Skypaw smiled. Rabbits were her favorite. Dawnpaw often teased her that she must be from WindClan. "Okay," Skypaw whispered. She yawned as Leopardclaw entered. He saw the two apprentices lying close together and smiled at them. He nodded to them both and went into his den to get a good night's rest.

"Go to sleep, Skypaw," Sandpaw whispered. "Everything will be better in the morning."

----

Leopardclaw awoke early that morning, as he often did, and stretched before he left his nest. His first thoughts were of the new cold cure he tried before he went to bed, and that it seemed to be working. The second he stepped into the dim sunlight, he began to think of Dawnpaw, and the upcoming perils she would face. He lifted his eyes to the sky.

_Please, StarClan, _he prayed. _Please end the curse soon. _

He looked around and stopped in his tracks. There was Sandpaw, eyes wide and hollow as if he hadn't slept all night. He was pacing back and forth furiously, his tail lashing back and forth. _Great StarClan, _Leopardclaw thought. _Has he been pacing since I left him? _

A jolt raced down the medicine cat's spine a hearbeat later. He suddenly had a vision of a tawny brown shape standing on the Highrock, and then he saw the same figure leading an impressive-looking Clan into battle. Lastly, he watched as the tawny cat walked through the darkness, lighting the way as he went. Leopardclaw blinked and the vision was over. He was left staring at Sandpaw with a deep respect. _He's got a great future ahead of him, _Leopardclaw thought. The medicine cat sank to his haunches. _Now, do I tell him and let him get a swelled head, or do I let him go on not knowing? _Leopardclaw shrugged. _I'll just keep it to myself for now. No use making him believe he's invincible. _

"Good morning, Sandpaw," Leopardclaw called.

The apprentice jumped slightly. He shook his head and adjusted his sight. "Oh," he mumbled. "You're real."

"I'm real? What does that mean?"

"I couldn't sleep last night. I kept hearing all these cats whispering, and I got up to see who was awake, but I didn't find anyone. I tried going back to sleep, but they kept whispering. So I started pacing like this, and every once and a while, a cat would appear in the corner of my eye, then disappear. I dunno what to make of it."

Leopardclaw let out a purr. "StarClan are calling you," he told the apprentice. "They're calling you to do great things."

Sandpaw cocked his head. "Like what?"

"Not even I know, but I'm sure that you're going to be ready when the moment comes."

"But I keep getting this bad feeling." The tom frowned at Skypaw, who was still sound asleep. "I think it has something to do with Skypaw. No, I know it does. Something's wrong. Something bad is going to happen."

"Skypaw and Dawnpaw are both strong she-cats," Leopardclaw replied, hoping he wasn't lying. "They'll get through whatever it is."

A soft meowing split the air, and both toms looked down at Skypaw as she rose slowly. "Is…" She stopped, yawned, blinked several times, and then lowered her head onto her paws. "Is Dawnpaw awake?"

"I've got no idea," Leopardclaw said. "I only just got up myself. Sandpaw here has been awake all night."

"You have?" Skypaw mumbled. "What for?"

"I'll tell you later. How about right now we go get something to eat, huh? After all, your warrior ceremony is today. I'm sure no one's going to mind if you sneak a bit of extra food."

Skypaw nodded and yawned once more. "Okay."

She rose stiffly and followed her fellow apprentice out. Leopardclaw stared after them as his limbs were seized in another vision. He was in the body of another cat. He was running, running for his life, and all the while he felt tears streaming down his cheeks. A light burned ahead, and he realized he was heading for the light. He ran faster and faster and then—

Leopardclaw shuddered into consciousness. _Two visions in one day_? he thought frowning. _StarClan haven't been this active in seasons. The first was so clearly for Sandpaw, but the second? Could it be Dawnpaw? _He began to shake. _Does this mean that Dawnpaw is going to die? _

Outside by the freshkill pile, Skypaw chose a shrew and padded over to the apprentices' den. "My last time eating here," she mumbled. Sandpaw wasn't hungry. He sat next to her and began grooming himself. "What do you think my warrior name will be?"

Sandpaw shrugged. "Something pretty, I'm sure."

"I want it to be strong," Skypaw replied. "Like Skyclaw or something."

Sandpaw laughed. "That's a terrible name."

"I know, but I'm not very creative, and Longstar is."

"Oh? Is he? Name one cat that has a creative name."

Skypaw thought, and thought, and thought, but when she couldn't find anything, she let out a sigh. "I guess you're right. I'm doomed to something like Skyfur or Skycloud for the rest of my life."

"At least it beats Sandfur or Sandpelt," her friend chuckled. "I have a boring name."

The two apprentices laughed while Nightpaw and Ravenpaw crawled out of the den, both yawning and blinking to adjust to the light. "You're up early," Ravenpaw mumbled. He sat down in front of them and stared at Skypaw's shrew. "You're allowed to eat? That's not fair."

Skypaw took one last bite and pushed it over to him. "Take it. I'm not that hungry." She stared into the darkness of the den. "Hey, is Dawnpaw still asleep?"

Nightpaw shrugged. "I haven't seen her since last night. She didn't sleep in our den."

Skypaw frowned. "Did she sleep in the warriors' den or something?"

The black tom shrugged a second time. "I don't know."

She exchanged glance with Sandpaw. "Why in StarClan's name would she sleep anywhere but the apprentices' den?"

"Maybe she's off with that Owlmoon or something," Ravenpaw suggested. He licked his lips. "He sure seemed desperate to spend time with her last night."

"Maybe," Skypaw echoed. _I hope not._

"She'll turn up," Sandpaw replied. "Where could she run off to anyway?"

He knew he'd said the wrong thing. Skypaw lowered her head and looked away.

"Well, why don't we go look for her?" he suggested. "You can apologize and make up before…before she leaves. That way, there's no bad blood between the two of you."

"Alright," Skypaw meowed. She got up and stretched. "Where should we start looking?"

Sandpaw flicked his tail towards the Highrock where Tigerheart, Longstar, Lionpelt, and Owlmoon were standing about. "We can ask them if they've seen her. It looks like they've just gotten back from the dawn patrol. Plus, Owlmoon ought to know where she is anyway. Let's give it a shot."

They bade fairwell to the brothers and padded over to the patrol. The closer they got, the more Skypaw worried. They were talking about her sister, she could tell. By the look on Owlmoon's face, it wasn't good.

"Good morning," Sandpaw greeted for her. The warriors spun around to look at them. Not a single one looked friendly. Sandpaw frowned. "What's the trouble?"

Tigerheart and Longstar exchanged glances. "That depends," Longstar replied. He turned his green eyes on Skypaw. "Do you know where Dawnpaw is?"

Skypaw shook her head, eyes widening. "No! What happened to her?! Where is she?!"

"We don't know," Tigerheart replied. She nodded to Owlmoon. "He says he spent the night with her, and when he woke up, she was gone. Bluestorm, Whiteblossom, and Pinefrost are out in the forest looking for her now. We were hoping she was in Leopardclaw's den, apologizing to you."

"No, and why didn't you tell me?" Skypaw meowed. "This is serious! What if we don't find her? Every cat knows what happened to Barktail!"

Barktail was a SkyClan cat that was chosen at the Selection, but died that night due to a bad outbreak of greencough. When the SkyClan leader and medicine cat appeared without him, the entrance to the cave shook with the Dark Forest's anger. They returned the next day to find that five of their cats who had been sick had died, and the medicine cat told them that it was the Dark Forest's way of punishing them for not providing the sacrifice.

"Don't worry, we'll find her," Lionpelt said. "We can't let that happen."

Skypaw narrowed her eyes. _StarClan knows he's worried about his own skin, _she thought angrily. _He'd much rather have Dawnpaw die than have something bad happen to him. _

They heard a yowl, and the cats looked up to see Bluestorm, Pinefrost, and Whiteblossom returning. Skypaw searched for her sister but was disappointed when she didn't see her. The three cats padded over to their leader.

"No sign of her," panted Whiteblossom. "We ran all over the place!"

"Where did you two sleep last night?" Longstar asked Owlmoon. "Somewhere near camp?"

The tabby nodded. "Ye-Yeah. Not far. I've looked there, but we can check again."

"We can pick up her scent from there," Bluestorm said. Skypaw saw her mother's worried expression. "She couldn't have gone far."

"Okay, then Tigerheart, Bluestorm, Pinefrost, Lionpelt, and Owlmoon, you go and see if you can track her," Longstar said. "I'll stay in camp and make sure no cat raises the alarm about her being gone."

"Can I go too?" Skypaw asked. "Please. She's my sister."

Longstar considered this. "Fine," he said. "But you have to keep up."

"I will," she replied.

"May I go as well?" Sandpaw asked. "I want to stay with Skypaw, just in case."

_In case of what? _Skypaw thought, but Longstar nodded.

"Alright. Consider this your last assessment."

The tom puffed out his chest and nodded. Tigerheart led the way up the ravine and into the forest. Then Owlmoon took over and led them to a tree with its base hollowed out. Skypaw recognized her sister's scent along with another pungent scent that made her crinkle up her nose.

_She wasn't kidding about having kits as early as possible, _Skypaw thought with a snort.

Bluestorm lowered her nose to the ground and sniffed deeply. She was the best tracker in the Clan. If anyone could find Dawnpaw, it was her. It didn't take her long to pick up the scent, and soon they were crashing through the brush again, the brambles slicing at Skypaw's already sore cheek. She bit back the pain and struggled to keep up with the warriors. Sandpaw raced ahead of her, suddenly filled with new life. He ran alongside Bluestorm and the two cats led them towards the river.

_Why would Dawnpaw go towards RiverClan territory? _Skypaw thought.

"She's somewhere near here!" Sandpaw shouted.

"Spread out and find her!" Tigerheart ordered. Skypaw darted away and began searching through every bush, every hole, and every inch of forest floor. Where on earth could her sister be? And why on earth had she run off in the first place?

Just as she was about to call out to the group, Skypaw heard a high-pitched wail. She bounded over to where Bluestorm, Sandpaw, and Tigerheart were standing over something small, lying on the ground.

She skidded to a halt. "What's…"

Sandpaw stepped aside. "I'm so sorry, Skypaw," he murmured as she stepped up to have a better look.

Dawnpaw looked like she was asleep. Her eyes were cracked open a tiny bit. They were staring up with no light in them. A small smile tugged at her lips. Surely she was asleep, right? That's what Skypaw prayed she was until she saw bits and pieces of red lying around her sister's mouth, and then spied a red berry she knew all too well from lessons taught to her as a kit.

"Deathberries," Tigerheart mumbled. "Great StarClan…"

Dawnpaw had killed herself.

* * *

Yup. You guessed it. (or not. I dunno how predictable the story is) Chapter four should be up soon. I'm purposefully blowing through these as the goal is to finish the story, so forgive me for grammatical/detail errors!


	5. Calm Before the Storm

Hello =) Thank you to the three people who have reviewed! It's good to hear that people are enjoying my quick project! And I'm gonna pull a Shia Lebouf, Poisoned Romance, and say we're gonna stop playing this game now...I will say that you're _close _but not exact. It seems like everyone's been able to guess the plot thus far. I need to be more confusing, I guess, haha. Here's chapter four! Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four **

_Skypaw felt the world _trembling around her as the rest of the patrol pelted over to join them. Sandpaw gently pressed into her and led her away, though his eyes remained fixated on the lifeless body of her likeness. She felt chills running up and down her spine. It was one thing to see Dawnpaw dead and yet another to see her lying there and know that one day, Skypaw would be in the same position. It was something like looking into the future. Only after Pinefrost and Lionpelt arrived did the truth hit her.

Dawnpaw was dead. The Dark Forest would have no sacrifice.

Even now the sky began to darken, despite the sun's best efforts to bring dawn's light to the world. It was snuffed out by thick, black storm clouds that rumbled and shook with the premonition of the storm to come. Skypaw tried her best to keep her eyes on the sky, not on her sister, but she strayed often, and found herself beginning to cry.

Owlmoon arrived last of the group. His reaction was the most painful for Skypaw. He saw them huddled together and ran over with a joyful look on his face, hopeful that soon he'd be reunited with his mate. Smiling he padded over, and was about to speak when he saw the look on Lionpelt's face.

"What?" he asked. "What is…"

He stopped when he saw Dawnpaw.

"NO!" Owlmoon shouldered the others aside and buried his face into her fur. "No, no! Dawnpaw, please wake up! No! Great StarClan, no!" His shoulders shook with powerful sobs, and Skypaw turned her back on him, unable to take anymore. "I love you!" he wailed. "I love you, Dawnpaw! Come back, please! Wake up! Wake—"

Skypaw winced when she heard a loud slap. "Come off it, Owlmoon!" she heard Lionpelt snarl. "She's dead!"

Owlmoon let out another wail, which Lionpelt cut off with an even harder strike. "Stop that yowling!" he snapped. "It's deafening me!"

"Dawnpaw!" the tabby warrior cried. "Dawnpaw!"

"Get him to camp," Lionpelt ordered. "We need to carry the body."

Owlmoon let out another howl at the word 'body'. Skypaw watched as Pinefrost and Tigerheart shouldered him through the forest. Tigerheart tried to calm him, but his cries didn't die down until he'd gone out of earshot.

"Let's get her out of here," Lionpelt said with a rare soft tone. "Do you want to carry her, Bluestorm?"

"Yes," the she-cat replied. She sounded distraught. "I-I'll do it on my own."

The sounds of struggling and scuffling drifted past Skypaw, but she was unaffected by them until she saw her mother carrying her sister off, Dawnpaw's head hanging limp off her back. Skypaw swallowed down bile.

"Let's go," Sandpaw whispered to her. "We can't stay here."

The second he finished speaking, a rain drop fell on Skypaw's nose.

"I can't believe StarClan is this cruel," Skypaw mumbled. "What're we going to do now? I've lost Dawnpaw, and…and the Dark Forest will surely take more cats when we don't show up with a sacrifice!"

Sandpaw rubbed his cheek against hers and then down her neck. "We'll figure out something," he whispered. "Right now, you need to be with your mother. You need to be strong for her."

Skypaw nodded, and the apprentices slowly made their way into the camp. Unlike the previous night's chaos, she found only silence when she entered the ThunderClan camp. The elders were out of their dens now, Tawnyfur and Puddlefoot were pressed together at the nursery entrance, and Leopardclaw was huddled over Dawnpaw's body. Skypaw felt a smile gracing her lips when she thought of how similar it was to last night—back when Dawnpaw had a chance of surviving. Bluestorm looked up and saw Skypaw. She beckoned her daughter over.

"If only I'd gotten to her earlier," mumbled Leopardclaw, regretfully. "I could've given her yarrow to throw them up, or even forced her to get them out of her system."

"No cat knew where she'd gone," Bluestorm replied. "Not even Owlmoon."

"And now what happens?" hissed Lionpelt. "We all die because one coward couldn't stand to face reality?"

Skypaw felt the fur bristling on her spine.

"Who knows how many cats they'll kill!" the tom continued. "The Dark Forest are ruthless! But Dawnpaw had a chance! She was just too weak to even try."

"Don't talk about my daughter that way," hissed Bluestorm. She slid into an attack stance. "Don't ever insult Dawnpaw."

"Here's the truth, Bluestorm," Lionpelt snarled. "Dawnpaw may have been the cat of the prophecy. She may have been the one to save us all. Now look at her!" He ran his tail over the she-cat's body, and Skypaw fought the urge to sink her teeth into it. "She couldn't even gather enough courage to believe in StarClan! And it's not only ThunderClan who put their trust in her! Cats from other Clans were rejoicing last night! They thought she'd be the one to end it! What are we going to tell them?"

"I don't believe it's any of their business," growled Longstar as he walked over. "This is ThunderClan's tragedy."

"Surely you're not siding with the doting mother?" snapped Lionpelt. "Longstar! We've just lost our chance to stop the curse! If ThunderClan were the ones to break it, imagine the debt that the other Clans would owe us! Just think of it!"

"You're blood-thirsty as ever, brother," hissed Leopardclaw. "Leave it. Can't you see that Bluestorm and Skypaw are trying to grieve?"

Perhaps Lionpelt had never seen Skypaw sitting there, or never truly seen her before, for the instant he turned his orange eyes on her, he looked renewed, and an evil spark spurred to life in him. Skypaw shied away from it. What was with that look he was giving her?

"Longstar."

"Yes?"

"Do you think the Dark Forest can be fooled?"

Longstar narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you think we could trick them?"

The black-and-white leader let out a hiss. "What're you talking about?"

Lionpelt smiled. "What if we sent Skypaw in Dawnpaw's place?" Once the words left his mouth, every cat, even those Skypaw swore weren't listening, turned their gaze on the blue-gray she-cat. "They're twins. They fool me every day. Would it be enough to fool the Dark Forest?"

Bluestorm howled with rage and put herself between Skypaw and the tom. "Never!" she shouted. "I won't let you take my only daughter!"

Only daughter. Boy did that sound odd to Skypaw. It was always 'my dear daughters' or 'my beloved twins'. Never just her.

"Think of the lives she'd be saving!" yowled Lionpelt. "At least it would only be one cat and not half the Clan! Stop being so selfish, Bluestorm!"

"We're talking about the life of an innocent cat!" snapped Leopardclaw. "How is that being selfish?"

"We've all had to make sacrifices," hissed Lionpelt. "It's about time she paid her dues."

Sandpaw stepped up as well and cut off Skypaw's view. "You'll have to go through me."

"Not hard!" chortled Lionpelt. "I'll flay you in seconds!"

The fur on Sandpaw's spine stood straight up. "Come at me then!"

"Stop this!" Longstar howled. "Stop fighting!"

All of a sudden, every cat screamed out in horror when a lightning bolt struck the crowd just tail-lengths away from Dawnpaw's body. The cats scattered as the ground smoldered in the beginnings of flames. Skypaw watched from where Sandpaw had thrown her as the flame sprung to life only to be put down by a torrent of rain. With a hiss, the tawny tom thrust her into the apprentices' den, where Nightpaw and Ravenpaw were already hiding.

"I can't believe that piece of fox-dung!" shouted Sandpaw. "It's outrageous! He's only thinking of himself!"

"No…" Skypaw mumbled. Sandpaw turned to her with a look of confusion. "No. Think about it, Sandpaw. He's right. If I go, I can convince the Dark Forest that I'm Dawnpaw. Maybe I can even break the curse in her place while I'm at it."

"No!" Sandpaw shouted. "I won't let you go! I won't let you!"

"Cat of ThunderClan!" Longstar shouted over the pounding of the rain. "Gather under the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Cautiously, Sandpaw ventured out first, his fur quickly soaked through. He then motioned to Nightpaw and Ravenpaw, who stuck closely together. Skypaw came out last. She staggered slightly, shaken by what she'd just said. Was she really brave enough to give up her life to save ThunderClan?

As the other cats congregated, the rain died down to a small sprinkle. A few warriors tried to come up to Skypaw, but Sandpaw and Nightpaw flanked her. They settled down to listen to what their leader had to say.

"As you all know by now," Longstar said, "Dawnpaw is dead. She killed herself by eating deathberries."

Murmurs spread through the crowd, but Longstar put them down with a hiss. "Dawnpaw's death is a double-edged issue. Owlmoon has just told me that Dawnpaw was carrying his kits when she died."

"What?!" Nightpaw exclaimed beside her, voicing Skypaw thoughts. "She was only an apprentice!"

"That's against the warrior code!" yowled Pinefrost.

"How dare you come onto such a young cat!" Whiteblossom hissed at Owlmoon, who cowered away from his clanmates' anger. "Have you no shame?!"

"Silence!" Longstar yowled. The cat settled back down. Nightpaw and Sandpaw pressed into Skypaw's flanks on both sides. She'd started shivering. She couldn't tell whether she was cold or terrified.

"This...this news saddens me. If Dawnpaw had only told us sooner, then she would've been spared from the Selection. I wonder if...I wonder if Dawnpaw was too ashamed of what we would think of her." He flicked his tail. "The second sad thing about Dawnpaw's death was that she was the Selection's chosen cat," Longstar continued. "Thus, ThunderClan will not have a sacrifice this year." He paused, but no cat spoke. "We all know that the Dark Forest's wrath is great, and that we will be punished if no representative from ThunderClan enters the cave. Lionpelt has suggested a way that we can save ourselves from the Dark Forest's killing hand." He shut his eyes. "He suggests that we send Skypaw."

Howls of rage sprang into the air, but Lionpelt shot them down with one of his own. "Listen!" he cried. "Think of it! Better one cat that half our Clan!"

"That's outrageous!" screamed Tigerheart.

"Think!" Lionpelt shouted again. "A life for all our lives!"

Before any other cat could argue, Longstar silenced them with a shout. "What Lionpelt says has some kind of truth," the leader meowed quietly. "Skypaw, if the Clan decides, would you go into the cave in place of your sister?"

Skypaw flattened her ears onto her head when the Clan looked to her. "I…" She saw Sandpaw's terrified expression and closed her eyes to block him out. "I would!" she cried bravely. "I would!"

Somewhere, Bluestorm screamed in agony.

"Quiet!" Longstar cried. "We'll have a vote! Every cat, including the elders and queens, should come to me individually and tell me whether they think that Skypaw should go in place of her sister or whether we should hold out and see what the Dark Forest will do to punish us. That is all!"

With that, he hopped down from the Highrock and slipped into his den. The cats fought to form a line at the entrance and began to speak loudly amongst themselves. Sandpaw turned to shout at Skypaw, but when he looked, he saw that she was gone.

"Where'd she go?" he hissed to Nightpaw.

The black tom shook his head. "I don't know!"

"We need to find her," Sandpaw growled. "She's not stupid enough to kill herself like Dawnpaw, but it's too dangerous for her to be running around on her own."

The toms nodded to each other and took following her tracks.

Leopardclaw sat in the center of the camp, watching his clan mates bicker amongst themselves. He then cast his gaze to the abandoned body of Dawnpaw. He let out a sigh.

_StarClan, how can this be your will_? he thought. _This is too cruel. _

----

"Skypaw!"

"Hey, Skypaw!"

The blue-gray she-cat shrank further back into the bush she was hiding in. She wasn't mad at Sandpaw. Nor was she even the tiniest bit angry with her clan mates—save for Lionpelt. She just didn't want to be around when they made their decisions. She didn't want to have their eyes on her, and she had no other reason to be in camp. They'd already buried Dawnpaw without telling her. She just needed some time on her own to come to grips with StarClan's choice.

"Go away!" she shouted at her friends. "I don't want to talk to anyone until the vote is up!"

If she were smart, Skypaw would've staid quiet. But because she insisted on speaking, it wasn't long before Sandpaw and Nightpaw found her. Sandpaw bent over her and rubbed his cheek down her flank.

"I was worried," he whispered into her fur. "I didn't know…I didn't think you'd do anything foolish, but I didn't know where you'd gone."

Skypaw shoved him away with her paw. "I can go wherever I want."

The toms exchanged a glance. "If you're waiting for the voting to finish, maybe you should wait in Leopardclaw's den," Nightpaw suggested. "It's warmer in there. Plus, I think the rain is going to start up again. You'll get soaked."

Skypaw let out a sigh. "It seems like everyone's deciding what's best for me," she mumbled. "First Sandpaw and now you, Nightpaw. Can't you just let me be? Can't you just let me live my life?" She frowned down at her paws. "That's the _exact _reason that I couldn't stand being around Dawnpaw. She thought she always knew what was best. I hated it."

"For now, I think Nightpaw's suggestion has a valid point," Sandpaw meowed, staring up at the clouds overheard. "They're whipping up quite a fierce storm."

They managed to coax Skypaw into the medicine cat's den after several more minutes of arguing. Leopardclaw wasn't there, but Nightpaw remembered what poppy seeds looked like and soon, they had the she-cat snoring at their feet. Sandpaw let out a sigh of relief and padded into the camp. The line was beginning to die down, so he and Nightpaw slipped in at the end. He was surprised when, after only a moment of waiting, Leopardclaw appeared. He nodded to the two of them.

"Sandpaw," he said. "Can I have a word with you?"

The tawny tom blinked. "With me?"

"Yes. It's important."

He shrugged and looked back at Nightpaw, who cocked his head. "Alright," Sandpaw replied. "Fire away."

Leopardclaw motioned his tail to the corner of the camp. "In private."

"S-Sure," Sandpaw said, frowning in confusion. Nonetheless, he followed the dappled tom until they were out of earshot of the rest of the Clan. Sandpaw sat and curled his tail around his paws. "What's this all about?"

"I wanted to ask you if you'd found Skypaw," he mumbled quietly. "I saw her run off, and I saw you and Nightpaw chase her. Did you find her?"

"Oh yeah. She was hiding in the forest. She didn't want to be around the Clan while they made their decision."

Leopardclaw laughed dryly. "I understand that. Well, where is she?"

"Your den, actually."

"Really? Doing what?"

"Sleeping."

The medicine cat laughed again. "How on earth did you get her to fall asleep at a time like this?"

"Nightpaw gave her some poppy seeds," Sandpaw replied, shrugging. "It put her out pretty quick."

Leopardclaw snorted. "That so? I can't believe a daft tom like him managed to remember what poppy seeds were."

"He actually knows a lot about plants," Sandpaw said, his eyes trailing over to the black tom as he entered Longstar's den. "It's weird."

"Mhmm," Leopardclaw mumbled. His eyes were fixed on the stone. "You know, I never thought that interpreting StarClan's will would be this hard. Rubblefur never let on about it. And they seem to have this terrible need to speak in riddles. For example: the prophecy? Why couldn't they just say 'The cat that's going to break the curse is named Dawnpaw', or something clarified like that. Not this confusing prophecy." He shook his head. "_On the fated day, Dawn will break, and the sky will shed tears to wash away the curse and bring the promise of new life._"

Sandpaw cocked his head. "That's not the prophecy Molewhisker recited."

Leopardclaw huffed. "And you trust him over me?"

The apprentice laughed. "You're right. I never even allowed myself to hope that Dawnpaw was the chosen cat. I just…I was too concerned with how Skypaw would feel about it. It's got to be hard to have your twin die."

"I've never had a twin, but excuse me for being a tiny bit joyful if Lionpelt ever died."

Sandpaw laughed. "I'm going to tell him that! I will!"

"Don't!" Leopardclaw purred. "He'll take my ears off, like he wanted to when we were kits. He said it was battle practice."

The toms laughed as the line dwindled down and disappeared. "Leopardclaw," Sandpaw murmured, "why are you being so nice to me?"

"I figure I should at least try," he replied. "After all, if what StarClan showed me is true, I'm going to have to trust you in the coming future."

"And what did they tell you?"

"You'll just have to find out."

They watched as Longstar poked his head out. He looked around before going back into his den. "Looks like everyone's voted," Leopardclaw whispered.

"Except me."

"What? Get over there! He'll make his decision soon, and you may be the tie breaker!"

Sandpaw mumbled something inaudible and shrugged. He whispered a good-bye and crossed the camp. He stopped at the entrance to the den, imaging what it would be like to sleep there, to belong there.

"Who's out there?" Longstar's voice called.

"Sandpaw," he replied. "I haven't voted yet."

"Oh, yes, come in."

The tawny tom disappeared, and Leopardclaw let out a sigh.

---

"Skypaw. Hey. Wake up. Wake up. Longstar is making an announcement."

The apprentice opened her eyes groggily to see Leopardclaw standing over her. She yawned and stood up. "Everyone's voted already?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Cloudpatch was the last one. We're ready now."

Skypaw nodded and padded out into the camp. The Clan had already gathered, and all eyes turned on her. Bluestorm opened her mouth to call her over, but Skypaw jogged over to sit by Sandpaw and Ravenpaw before she had a chance. Longstar cleared his throat before speaking.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he boomed. "You have all voted. I have counted the votes and made a decision based upon them. I will announce the verdict." Longstar let out a sigh. "The votes were thirteen for and nine against," he said. "And I have decided to honor the vote. Tonight, Leopardclaw, Skypaw, and I will travel to the cave where she, along with the other four cats, will be sacrificed. That is my final decision!" he shouted when cries of outrage sounded through them. "The last thing I can do for Skypaw is give her a warrior name." He beckoned to the she-cat with his tail. "Come forward. You too, Sandpaw," he added when Skypaw began to walk towards him. "You've earned this."

Sandpaw brightened and made his way over to the Highrock.

Longstar raised his eyes to the sky as Sandpaw sat down next to her. "I, Longstar of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them as warriors in return." His eyes found Sandpaw first. "Sandpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Sandpaw nodded curtly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sandpaw, from this moment on you will by known as Sandstone. StarClan honors you for your courage and loyalty."

Longstar leapt down and placed his head on Sandstone's. He licked his shoulder in response, and Longstar turned to Skypaw.

"Skypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Skypaw swallowed, knowing the full meaning of those words. By the look in Longstar's eyes, she knew that he was asking her, pleading her silently to save his Clan. She dipped her head slightly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Skypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Skyeyes. StarClan honors you for your loyalty and selflessness."

He placed his head on Skyeyes'. "This is what I told to your sister the night of the Selection," Longstar whispered into her ear. "ThunderClan will always be with you. StarClan will always light your way. Even if you stand in darkness, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel."

Skyeyes nodded and licked his shoulder. "Thank you, Longstar."

"Sandstone! Skyeyes! Sandstone! Skyeyes!"

The Clan took up their names, and Skyeyes felt a rush of loyalty course through her. She knew she'd give up her life for these cats no matter what. Sandstone turned to her and smiled.

"Guess Sandpelt isn't in my future after all," he purred.

She smiled right back. "I guess not."

"And Longstar was right to give you such a lovely name," he went on. He leaned in closer. "Your eyes are quite sky-like."

Skyeyes purred and was about to speak when her mother came over, congratulating her loudly. Skyeyes leaned into her mother's soft licks. She shut her eyes and pretended she was a kit, playing in the nursery without a care in the world. All too soon, Longstar broke the spell.

"Skyeyes," he said. "I need to ask a favor of you."

She lifted her head. "What?"

"I need you to go by Dawnstorm for me. That's…" He trailed his eyes to the ground. "That was the name I was going to give your sister, were she here right now. In honor of you, Bluestorm."

The longhaired she-cat bowed her head. "I wish she were here more than you know," Bluestorm mumbled.

"She's in StarClan now, and she's going to be watching over her sister, to keep her safe." Longstar dipped his head respectfully to Skyeyes. "I have great faith in you, Sky—I mean," he amended, "Dawnstorm."

Skyeyes shrugged. "It seems like, despite my best efforts, I've ended up being called by my sister's name after all."

* * *

Chapter five should be up soon! Oh, and I'm aware now that in the allegiances, Sandstone is a dark ginger tom and he's described in the story as being tawny. Well...let's just say he's a chameleon. Next chapter we FINALLY get to the Selection. I feel like it's taken forever. Anyone else agree? I hope it's not getting boring :(


	6. Into the Darkness

Hey guys :3 I'm pleased that the reviews for this story have been positive! It makes me happier than I think ya'll know. I don't how much you're going to like this chapter: it's a bit boring, but it helps establish some character of the other cats. And yes, Wolfpelt has an accent. I don't know why, but I just pictured all the Clans having different accents, just because they're from different areas and don't talk to other Clans very often. But it was too late to construct individual accents for every Clan, so I gave the one major SkyClan character a bit of a southern accent. And if you say, 'hey, that sounds nothing like a southern accent!' you're wrong. Because I'm from Texas. And damn it, that's how we talk down here in the Lone Star state.

Hope I haven't scared you off O.o Plz enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Five **

Dare Skyeyes convince herself that this was the best day she'd ever spent with her Clan? Not a single cat mistook her for her sister. Not a single one asked her to clean out their bedding, de-tick them, or even to ignore the gnawing hunger in her belly. They let her eat whatever she wanted. They let her do whatever she wanted. Skyeyes felt free. Bluestorm stayed near but didn't smother her daughter. She watched with calculating eyes. She seemed to be trying to work out in her head how it would feel to be without her.

Such freedom came with an expiration date, one that loomed closer with every passing moment.

All too soon the sun set, the sky darkened, and the shadow of the Selection's outcome rose its ugly head. It wanted to make her afraid. It wanted to make her cripple under its weight, like her sister had. But Skyeyes refused to allow anything to break the fragile façade she wrapped around herself. And so she never allowed herself to fear.

Longstar came and found her. She was sharing a blackbird—her fourth--with Nightpaw and Tigerheart when he came over to tell her that he and Leopardclaw were ready to leave the camp. Strangely, Skyeyes arose with a bit of excitement. She felt more curiosity about the contents of the cave then she did fear. She considered this to be because she was so young, yet she had no proof.

Her leader had groomed himself as was the custom. He looked incredibly handsome, with his black fur shining like ebony in the fading light. He nodded to his deputy and her son before speaking.

"S—Dawnstorm," he said, still struggling to call her the right name. "It's time to leave."

Skyeyes dipped her head and stood. "I'm coming," she said. Longstar turned to leave, and Skyeyes faced her former mentor and friend. "Good-bye, you two."

Nightpaw stood quickly. He touched her nose and shied away after the contact. "Bye," he murmured. "You…you should fight as hard as you can. That way, you can come back to ThunderClan."

The blue-gray warrior dipped her head. "I will."

"Don't forget all I've taught you," Tigerheart whispered as she touched her nose to Skyeyes' cheek. "You're a brave she-cat with great skill. You're going to come back. We all trust you."

She nodded and backed away. She saw Longstar and Leopardclaw standing at the top of the ravine. The toms looked at her, and Leopardclaw flicked his tail to beckon her onward. Skyeyes paused. Since the moment after their warriors ceremony, Sandstone had simply vanished, refusing to participate in the supposed 'last supper'. In fact, he never spoke a word to her the entire time. She thought she'd caught glimpses of him every few moments, but he always disappeared seconds later. She scanned the Clan, hoping to find him.

"Come on!" Leopardclaw called from above. "Hurry! The sun is setting!"

With a sigh, Skyeyes gave it up and turned to leave. She padded up the ravine and faintly heard the good-byes of her clan mates. Hurt, she joined her leader and medicine cat with a heavy heart. How could Sandstone let her go, knowing she might die, without saying any kind of fairwell?

Leopardclaw squinted his eyes at her face. "Here. Stay still for a second."

"Wha...?" Skyeyes stopped when he reached up with his paw and tore off the cobwebs. It didn't hurt, but the action surprised her. She'd completely forgotten about the wound. It felt like it'd been ages since her sister struck her. Leopardclaw wiped the cobwebs on the ground and examined his work.

"It's healing," he mumbled. "Not perfectly, but healing. Just say that you got in a fight with some shockingly skilled kits."

Skyeyes purred. "Okay."

"Pace yourself," Longstar told her. "We've got a long journey ahead, and you must keep your strength."

Skyeyes nodded absentmindedly. She was still lingering on Sandstone's neglect. It seemed unlike him to leave her side for a minute, and here he was, letting her walk into the unknown. They started off into the forest, that familiar forest that Skyeyes would miss dearly if she were to not return. They'd gotten halfway to Fourtrees when a loud call stopped them.

"What on earth was that?" hissed Longstar.

"I wonder," Leopardclaw added, though he flashed a knowing smile.

A tawny blur burst through the bushes and skidded to a halt in front of Skyeyes. Panting, Sandstone took a moment before he straightened to his full height and stared at the blue-gray warrior with wide eyes.

"S-S-Skyeyes," he panted. "I-I-I'm s-sorry I haven't spoken to you earlier."

She shrugged. "It's alright." Inside, she was singing with joy. He'd come to see her off after all!

"No, it's not alright. It's not. I've been horrible and selfish, and…" Sandstone shook his head. "I'm sorry." He lowered his voice so the other two couldn't hear. "You see, Leopardclaw put me up to this, and I'm damn nervous about it."

Skyeyes blinked. "Well?" she asked. "What is it?"

Sandstone opened his mouth, but all the color drained from his face. "I-I-I—"

"Oh spit it out already!" Leopardclaw shouted. "We haven't got all day!"

"I'm…" Sandstone swallowed, drew himself up, and shut his eyes. "I'm absolutely certain that you're coming back."

The she-cat felt disappointment course through her. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've got that feeling. You know the one?"

Skyeyes nodded.

"So…" He took a few steps back towards camp. "I'll be waiting for you."

"That's good to know," Skyeyes said quietly. She lowered her head and rejoined her leader. "Good-bye, Sandstone."

The tawny tom nodded briskly. "It's not forever."

The three cats began to walk off when they heard him yowl again. They spun around to see Sandstone, barely a speck of color against the greens and browns of the forest. "Skyeyes!" he shouted. "I love you!"

Skyeyes felt her heart beat faster. She blushed and looked down at her paws. "I love you too," she murmured to herself so no cat could hear. Then she flicked her tail and strutted past the two toms. "Let's go to the cave," she said over her shoulder with an obvious smile. "I'm ready."

---

SkyClan and ShadowClan were already there when they arrived. The medicine cats were closer to the entrance while the leaders were shouldered together. The chosen cats sat a few tail-lengths apart from one another, though Wolfpelt of SkyClan shot Nightstorm curious glances every few moments. It was clear he wanted to speak, but she wasn't having any of it. Skyeyes padded over to them while he leader and the medicine cat split. Wolfpelt brightened at the sight of her.

"Howdy," he purred. "You're Dawnpaw, right?"

Skyeyes bit her lip. That's right, time to be her sister. "It's Dawnstorm now," she replied. "My warrior ceremony was today."

"Congrats to ya'," Wolfpelt replied. "I'm Wolfpelt, case you don't remember."

"Nightstorm," the black she-cat hissed. "But it doesn't matter whether you know my name or not."

Skyeyes and Wolfpelt exchanged a fearful glance. They both smiled as the scent of WindClan grew stronger. They had to travel through WindClan territory to come here, but this scent was different, fresh. Skyeyes looked up to see Featherstar, Emberfur, and Sleetfur as they jogged over. Sleetfur padded over to them with a dark look in his eyes.

"Hey," he said. "So…Everyone's here but RiverClan?"

"I met some of 'em on a hunting patrol," Wolfpelt said. "They were yakin' about some queen named Lilypad, how she was havin' her kits. Any of ya'll know 'er?"

"That's Cinderstar's mate, you mouse-brain," growled Nightstorm. "And her last kitting went poorly. It's no wonder Mousepelt didn't want to leave her."

Sleetfur cocked his head. "How'd you know that?"

"Because unlike single-minded toms who fight to relieve boredom, we she-cats actually listen to one another at Gatherings," she replied, her lip curling slightly. "The last time Lilypad came to a Gathering, she confessed that she was afraid she may die from this litter. Didn't you notice how nervous Cinderstar was at the Selection?" The others shook their heads, and Nightstorm rolled her eyes. "Every good warrior knows that observation is the key to everything! You're all like daft apprentices!"

"We're ain't daft just because we don't mingle in their business," growled Wolfpelt. "I don't really care what happens in other Clans, long as they mind their borders."

"Typical tom answer," hissed Nightstorm.

"Well are you saying you'd sympathize with a cat from another Clan as long as it was a queen?" growled Sleetfur.

"No, of course not! My Clan comes first! But at a Gathering—you know, that place where there's a truce?—I use the other queens' loose tongues to learn about other Clans! What did listening in tell me? First of all that Mousepelt is shaky in her duties as a medicine cat. Also that Cinderstar has a weak spot for his mate. Both of those pieces of information could be useful in a fight."

Skyeyes knew anything she said would be shot right back at her. She kept her comments to herself and shuffled her feet. Neither Wolfpelt or Sleetfur continued the conversation. They assumed correctly that Nightstorm believed she couldn't be proved wrong. They waited another few minutes before the scent of fish filled Skyeyes' nostrels, and Skyeyes saw Mousepelt, Cinderstar, and Rowanheart coming towards them. As they grew closer, the chosen cats dispersed, each going back to their leaders. Skyeyes searched the RiverClan cats for any kind of emotion that would tell her about Lilypad, but they were gone too quickly. Skyeyes mimicked the others and sat before Longstar. Leopardclaw padded over to them too.

"Hold out your paw," Longstar ordered.

She complied. Longstar met her eyes before, all of a sudden, his claws dug deep into her skin and slashed across the top of her foot. She held in a yowl of pain.

"It's tradition," Leopardclaw told her. "We're not sure why."

Skyeyes looked around to see that all the others were doing it as well. Once they were finished, the leaders touched their noses.

"Dawnstorm, over here."

She turned, and Longstar touched her nose. "ThunderClan will be with you," he whispered.

She nodded slowly. Leopardclaw stepped up in Longstar's place and touched her nose. "StarClan will be with you," he whispered.

Skyeyes backed away from them as the other cats were doing. Led by Nightstorm, they began to pad over to the entrance to the cave, where Dognose was waiting. They lined up single-file in front of him. Skyeyes felt a rush of air go by as Rowanheart sat beside her. She glanced at him sideways and caught eyes with him. He had fiery amber eyes that lit up when she looked over. The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile.

"May StarClan be with all of you," Dognose said loudly. Skyeyes winced at his sightless blue eyes. They were giving her chills. He dipped his head to each of them—and how he knew exactly where to looked Skyeyes will never know—and stepped away from the mouth of the cave.

Every cat in the clearing paused. Who would go first?

It wasn't surprising that Nightstorm stepped up. She gave her leader and medicine cat one last nod before running into the cave at a flat out sprint, her black fur melting into the darkness. She clearly wasn't afraid of anything the Dark Forest may throw at her.

Next was Wolfpelt, surprisingly. While Skyeyes didn't peg him as a coward, he did seem like the kind of guy to have a bit of self-preservation. Regardless, he winked at Copperstar before he too was swallowed up by the shadows.

Sleetfur let out a sigh. "I guess we're going in order," he mumbled. Skyeyes saw that he was right: Nightstorm had been the furthest on the left, Wolfpelt next to her. Sleetfut got to his feet. "Tell my kits I love them," he called to Featherstar. "And be sure they make WindClan proud."

The beautiful she-cat nodded. "I swear it."

He hovered at the entrance, one paw in. Then he sighed and shouted, "And tell that piece of fox-dung Rustclaw that I hope he's next!" Before any cat could reply, he dashed into the cave.

Skyeyes repressed a purr as Rowanheart stood. He nodded to Cinderstar. "Make sure Koipaw takes good care of my mother for me," he requested.

Cinderstar nodded. Skyeyes scanned his face and found the remnants of tears. Were they for Rowanheart or Lilypad?

Rowanheart inhaled deeply. Then he too left her.

Skyeyes got to her feet. Every step she took made her panic. What would her sister say? What would she do? She turned to Longstar, opened her mouth, and froze. What to say?

"Tell Mother that I love her," she called, hoping she sounded even the least bit like her. "And…And tell Owlmoon that it'll be alright."

A flicker of amusement sparked in the black-and-white tom's eyes. He nodded. The other cats assumed it must be because he was agreeing, that he was promising to deliver her final message, but Skyeyes knew he was praising her for keeping up with this charade.

She, like Rowanheart, drew in breath.

"Sandstone, I hope I can trust you," she whispered.

She shut her eyes as she felt her paws begin to move. A rush of cool air blasted onto her face as all previous sounds—the calls of birds, the distant bark of a dog—and all previous scents—the Clans, the moorland, and the stale scent of rabbit—vanished.

She was in the Dark Forest's domain now.

* * *

Sorry this one was a bit later than the others. I got caught up in school work, so I haven't had much time to write. Try and see if you can guess what will be in the cave! Go on, just guess. I'm 90% sure that asking will end poorly for me since guesses in the past have been pretty spot on...so here's to me making bad decisions! :D Plz review, even if you hated it!


	7. Mist's Warning

Hi guys! Here's chapter six, where the action finally starts. There's not a whole lot to say about this one other than please enjoy! Thanks so much for reading and supporting this fanfic no matter how slow and boring I think it is! xD

silverstarfan-The war will be explained/spoken about in depth in the next chapter's 'campfire chat' as I'm jokingly calling it.

* * *

**Chapter Six **

None of the horrific things Skyeyes imagined seeing appeared when she raced into the cave. In fact, she didn't see anything. She couldn't even see her nose on the end of her face. At first she thought she was alone, and she panicked. She'd imagined all along that making this journey through the cave would be much more bearable since she had the other four cats with her. But she couldn't see them, nor could she smell them for several heartbeats. She took a step forward and felt shifting beneath her paws. Was she standing on pebbles? Was the ground broken up around her? She felt her heart racing. Where on earth were the others?

"Hello!" she called. Her voice echoed back. "Guys? Anyone?"

She was alone. She shut her eyes and assured herself that she could just as easily face the dangerous on her own.

Then, the smell of moorland hit her. And the smell of fear.

"I'm blind!" Sleetfur howled somewhere nearby. "Oh Great StarClan! I'm blind! The Dark Forest blinded me!"

Skyeyes heard a low hiss.

"Shut your trap, moor trash!" snapped Nightstorm. "You're not blind! It's dark! I can't see anything either!"

"Oh." She heard more shifting. Clearly the ground must be unstable everywhere. "Well, where are we?"

"How am I supposed to know? Earth to mouse-brain: I've never been here before! And I don't plan on a return trip!"

"Calm down, Sleetfur," Skyeyes heard Rowanheart's calm voice saying. "Your fear scent is sickening."

Skyeyes felt something brush against her, and she let out a wail. She leapt backwards in fright.

"Hey, hey, it's alright!" Wolfpelt's gruff voice said. "Don't go losin' yer head. It's just me."

"That's all of us, right?" asked Rowanheart. "We're alright?"

"Yessir," replied Wolfpelt. Skyeyes felt his breath on her shoulder. She shuddered slightly. "Dawnstorm's over here. You got the others with you over there?"

"Yeah. We're all safe for now." A cool blue light shone somewhere far, far away. Skyeyes cocked her head at it. The outlines of the other cats became clearer, and she hurried to stand by Rowanheart. She trusted him the most of all of them.

"Ya'll seein' this?" murmured Wolfpelt. "Or am I hallucinatin' already?"

"No, that's real," replied Rowanheart. "A better question is what is it?"

"Or who."

All five cats—even Nightstorm—jumped high in the air when they heard a muffled, cheerful voice speaking somewhere near them. Rowanheart leapt back closer towards Sleetfur, and Skyeyes tried to follow him, but she ended up crashing into Nightstorm. She expected the ShadowClan queen to spit at her, hiss at her, or maybe even swipe. But she did something so strange it made Skyeyes' head reel: she stepped up and shielded her. Her black form blocked Skyeyes' view.

"Who's there?" called Rowanheart. "Show yourself!"

"I'm right here."

The cats looked over to see a small, white she-cat with a halo of light around her tiny form. She had no pupils, and her eyes were a clear blue. Skyeyes flattened her ears against her head and crouched down behind Nightstorm.

"Who are you?" Rowanheart asked.

"Me?" the she-cat purred. She cocked her head to one side and smiled broadly. "I'm Mist."

"Mist?"

"Yup! I was one of the first cats to join the Dark Forest."

Rowanheart frowned at Wolfpelt, who'd stepped up from the group. "How on earth did a little one like you end up in this kinda place?"

Mist shut her eyes and cocked her head to the left. "Oh, it's not important. What is important is the message that I have for you! It's from the big guy himself!"

"Big guy?" echoed Wolfpelt.

"You guys know him, right?"

The cats exchanged glances. They all looked confused, but Nightstorm spoke up. "You mean Macabre."

Mist did a small flip in the air, which made Wolfpelt and Rowanheart retreat a few paces back. "Yes! Trust the ShadowClan cat to know him! Oh he's good friends with you and your Clan, very good friends."

Wolfpelt shot Nightstorm a glare. "Here that, ya'll?" he hissed. "Nightstorm and this Macabre guy are _good buddies._"

Nightstorm let out a hiss. "I only know his name because of the stories," she replied. "Our queens tell their kits about him from the day they first open our eyes. There's a legend, one that may or may not be true, that an old ShadowClan leader named Hollowstar formed an alliance with the Dark Forest in order to gain power and spare his clan mates. But, of course, Macabre soon made it clear that he wouldn't listen to anything Hollowstar said. He acted of his own free will, and in the end…more ShadowClan cats died."

"Right, right!" chirped Mist. "Boy, she-cat, you're so smart!"

Nightstorm's fur began to rise.

"This is a message from Macabre!" Mist continued. "He says if you can reach the end of the cave by dawn, he'll let you go free, and he'll put an end to the Selection once and for all!" Then Mist frowned. "That's all well and good, and I'm not saying you shouldn't try your best, but…" She flicked her tail into the darkness. "Hundreds of cats just like you have tried—and failed. Let me show you!"

Suddenly, a light shone down from over head, and Skyeyes shrieked in horror when she looked down to see that the ground was littered with cat bones. The other cats wailed and howled around her, and Skyeyes shook her head to clear the voices. She scrambled back to try and escape them, but she tripped and fell face first into the pile. Skyeyes screamed and screamed as the scent of decay washed over her, and the bones scratched and tugged at her fur and her face. The more and more she struggled, the seemingly deeper and deeper she sunk. She kicked and clawed her way out until she felt air flowing into her lungs.

"Oh, so many skeletons!" Mist chuckled. "We should really clean this place out a bit!"

"Why you stinkin' heap of fox-dung!" screeched Wolfpelt. "I'll flay you!"

He lunged for the diminutive she-cat, but the second his claws came into contact with her, Mist vanished. Wolfpelt was swallowed up by the bones for a few horrifying moments before he too emerged, panting and shaking. He scrambled over to the group and stood by Sleetfur, who looked about ready to die from fear.

"Uh-uh!" purred Mist. Skyeyes threw her head about until she spotted the she-cat, sitting on a stalagmite. She lifted her paw and began to groom herself. "That won't get you anywhere, Mr. funny accent!"

"Don't you dare make fun of the way I talk!" Wolfpelt shouted. "Come 'ere and say that to my face!"

"I'd rather not. Macabre says not to get near the sacrifices. But it won't matter. You'll all be on our side soon enough." Mist let out a purr as her body began to slowly vanish. Skyeyes sought protection in the group and found Nightstorm, yet again shielding her from any possible threats. Mist's purring died the second her body disappeared. The cats let out a collective sigh.

"Glad that's over," murmured Sleetfur. "My heart was about to stop!"

"Same here," replied Rowanheart. He lashed his tail. "She gave me the creeps!"

"Guys, guys!" shouted Wolfpelt. "We're missin' the point here! We've got to get a move on to reach the end of that tunnel by dawn!"

Nightstorm snorted. "What does it matter?" she hissed. "You heard her. We'll all be dead by the end of the night."

Wolfpelt nodded to Skyeyes. "Maybe _we _will be. But if manage to get Dawnstorm out of here, she'll save our Clans. She'll make sure that no cat will lose their lives to these pieces of fox-dung ever again."

All eyes turned to Skyeyes, who pressed herself against the bones. "You think she's the cat from the prophecy?" murmured Sleetfur.

"It's absurd to put that much pressure on such a young cat!" shouted Nightstorm. She put herself between Skyeyes and the toms.

"If she is the one, then she'll save more lives than we can even count," mumbled Rowanheart. "We have to keep Dawnstorm alive."

Skyeyes straightened herself. This was it. No more lying. She wasn't going to let these cats go on believing in her when she was lying to them and herself. She opened her mouth to speak, but something moving in the corner of her eye drew her attention. It was flying just over Sleetfur's head.

"Hey, do you see that?" she asked.

Sleetfur whipped his head around. "What?! What is it?"

"I don't know," Skyeyes replied. She narrowed her eyes at the small brown blur. "It looks almost like a bird."

"Hey, there's one over there too!" called Wolfpelt. "They're right over yer head, Sleetfur! Don't move a muscle!"

The white tom looked more than willing to comply. As the cats stared, the flying objects multiplied, until there were tens of them, then hundreds. They formed a column, moving up and down from the floor and roof of the cave. Skyeyes felt herself becoming entranced.

"What are they?" murmured Skyeyes.

"No idea," whispered Nightstorm next to her. "But if they're in here, it can't be anything good."

They watched for several more heartbeats until all of a sudden, one of the shapes flew down over Sleetfur's head. The WindClan tom let out a screech as the scent of blood entered the air.

"It bit me!" he shouted. "Whatever it is bit me!"

Another blur flew down and slashed him along his spine. He keened and lunged for the group. "They're biting me! What are they?"

"They're bats!" hissed Nightstorm. "I can see them!"

"Bats?" echoed Skyeyes quietly. As she spoke, a third bat swooped down and tore right through Sleetfur's ear. The tip vanished, and Sleetfur screamed in a hollow voice. He barreled into Rowanheart, seeking some kind of shelter. "Help me!" he cried. Blood was dripping down his face. "Help me!"

"Why are they only attacking him?" Skyeyes asked.

Nightstorm shook her head. "Bats don't use their eyes to see," she murmured. "They know we're all here. They must know."

"It must be your pelt!" Wolfpelt shouted. "They can see the white easily in the darkness! Hide, Sleetfur, hide!"

"No!" Nightstorm shouted as Sleetfur pelted for cover, the bats screeching after him. "Don't panic!"

They lost sight of Sleetfur as he attempted to find a place to hide. The bats turned and began to disperse among the other cats, slashing and biting at them. Skyeyes felt teeth rip through her right flank. Some bats didn't bother biting her and just knocked into her repeatedly until she felt dazed and beaten. Their masses were filling her vision. She heard the others screaming and struggling, but she couldn't see past the massive wall of squirming flesh. She tried her best to swat at the bats, but there were too many, and they were knocking her off balance with their every attack. She felt blood running down her face and down her sides. Her eyes were burning, and there were claw marks all over her face. Skyeyes opened her mouth and screamed for all she was worth.

"Hide!" she heard Rowanheart shout. "Hide, quickly!"

Skyeyes wasted no time. She turned tail and fled in the direction she hoped that Sleetfur had gone. Nightstorm ran beside her for the first few steps until Skyeyes lost her in the chaos. The ThunderClan she-cat spotted an overhang not far away. She dashed under and felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. She flattened herself against the first clean bit of ground she'd found since entering the cave and watched the bats shrieking by as they tried to locate her friends. Somewhere far off, she heard a low wail, like a death cry. Skyeyes squeezed her eyes shut and pressed against the cave wall. She felt leaves tugging at her pelt and saw that there were peculiar ivy-like plants growing everywhere, each with a blood red flower in the center. She steered clear of them. All at once, the beating of wings seemed to die down, and Skyeyes waited for any sign that the others had survived.

"Hey!" she heard Wolfpelt shout. "Hello! Where is everyone!"

"I'm over here!" Skyeyes called back. She crawled out of the crevice slowly and saw him standing not far away in an odd shaft of light. How could moonlight pass through solid rock? There were no holes in the roof of the cave, nor were there cracks in the walls of it. Regardless of its strange origin, the light bathed his shaking frame in an unforgiving light. She saw he was covered from head to toe in blood, with deep slashes down his neck, head, and back. "Oh Great StarClan," she murmured, slowly making her way over to him. "You're hurt!"

Wolfpelt cracked a smile. "You don't look so great yerself, sweetheart."

Skyeyes craned her neck to look at her pelt. Sure enough, there was blood all over her too, and she felt her cuts start to burn. "Where are the others?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Not sure. I ain't—"

"Anyone alive?" Rowanheart's voice called.

"We're over here!" Wolfpelt answered back. "Dawnstorm and I are safe!"

They waited for him, listening to his faint footsteps, until he appeared, just as tattered-looking as them. The whole right side of his face was drenched in blood. "You two don't look so good," Rowanheart mumbled.

"Right back at 'cha, handsome," replied Wolfpelt. "Now, have you seen Coward and Miss Attitude?"

Rowanheart shook his head. "Not yet."

"I can smell her," Wolfpelt said with a wry smile. "Her ShadowClan stench is all over the place."

"Hah-hah, tree hugger," Nightstorm herself hissed as she emerged from the bend in the cave. Skyeyes noticed she was limping significantly on her left forelimb. When she came closer, Skyeyes saw a large amount of blood. "I missed you three, too."

"Where's Sleetfur?" asked Skyeyes.

Nightstorm shook her head. "He's dead."

"Dead?" echoed Rowanheart. "How?"

"How do you think? The bats took him down. Right in front of my hiding spot, as a matter of fact. Poor thing kept struggling, but they had strength in numbers. I watched them pin him down and drain him dry."

"Of what?" murmured Wolfpelt.

Nightstorm narrowed her eyes at him. "Of blood."

Skyeyes felt herself pressing into Rowanheart, who didn't shy away. "Where is he?" the RiverClan tom asked.

"Not far off. I can take you to him, if you'd like."

The cats exchanged glances. "I think we should pay him some kind of respects," replied Wolfpelt. "Even if we can't bury him."

They agreed and allowed Nightstorm to lead them around the bend and into a expanse of open air. More and more spots of light blue moonlight dappled the cave floor. She saw that there were two openings on the left and right, both dark. "This way," Nightstorm said with a flick of her tail. They followed her to a corner, where Skyeyes saw where she'd hidden. There were two rocks with a small slit between them which looked big enough for her to get it, but small enough that she wouldn't be obvious once inside.

"There," Nightstorm said. "Happy?"

Skyeyes frowned and followed the tip of her tail. She inhaled sharply when she saw him.

Sleetfur was a sliver of his former self. He looked as though a monster had plowed right over him and flattened him. He lay on his side with numerous splotches of blood covering his once pure white pelt. There were tiny bites all over him, but the majority were on his throat, which was stained red. His eyes were wide with terror, and his mouth was open with one last cry of desperation. Skyeyes felt her shoulders slump.

"Great StarClan," murmured Rowanheart.

"One down, four to go!" Mist's voice purred from above them. They whipped their heads about to find her, but Mist was nowhere to be seen.

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Poor Sleetfur :( He's a pity character. I don't actually like him that much, which is why he's dead. So who is your favorite character thus far? Who do you wish would die next? Please R&R!


	8. Familiar Faces

Hey guys! Long time no see, and I'm sorry for that. I had to wrap up a big project for the end of IT week, and then I decided I may as well just take a break over the holiday weekend. I have to say a special thanks to Into Nothing who is amazing for reviewing each chapter! O.o' It's so nice to read your in depth reviews, and I'm really grateful to you for pointing out any errors! (I think you'll have a field day with this one xD). From all the feedback, it seems like you guys hate poor Wolfpelt the most. And for his accent! I'm hurt! Just kidding. I did lay it on a bit thick. And those of you who hate him now will _really _hate him after this chapter. I don't know if my description of SkyClan is at all factual, but that's just the way I interpreted them. I think it makes them more interesting. I'm sorry that there's not much action in this one! Plz enjoy regardless!

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**Chapter Seven **

"Are you sure we should eat it?"

"Well it's meat, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but what if it's poisoned?"

"Are you listenin' to yerself? Poisoned? How could an animal be poisoned?"

"Snakes are!"

"This ain't no snake."

"Ew! I think it just twitched!"

"It's dead, Dawnstorm. Just eat it."

"I'm not hungry."

Wolfpelt let out a hiss. "Fine. Then I'll eat it."

The four cats were circled around the tiny abandoned body of a bat that Nightstorm had batted out of the air. It lay on its side at their paws with a wound to the side of its head. Skyeyes gagged at the sight of it. All the good meat she'd had at the camp threatened to come right back up her throat. Wolfpelt reached out and poked it.

"Go on then, tree hugger," said Nightstorm. "Eat it if you dare."

Wolfpelt narrowed her eyes at her before he lowered his head. He took one bite before he grimaced and stumbled back a few paces. The others laughed as he doubled over and began to wretch all over the cave floor. Rowanheart, the closest to him, leapt away to avoid touching the nasty smelling liquid.

"Gross!" giggled Skyeyes. "I told you!"

The SkyClan tom couldn't speak for several moments. He wiped his mouth and turned to them. "It tasted awful!" he whimpered. "Great StarClan! I can't get the taste out of my mouth!"

"I hate to say I told you so," chuckled Skyeyes. "It didn't look or smell delicious."

Wolfpelt continued to wipe his mouth as Rowanheart stood and tossed the rest of the bat into the darkness. "I think it's safe to say that we've had our last meal now," Rowanheart chuckled. "That is, unless you ladies would like to give it try."

"Don't!" croaked Wolfpelt. "The taste! Ugh!"

"We should rest for a bit," Nightstorm suggested, giving her injured paw a lick. "No use staying up for the rest of our lives."

"That sounds so ominous," murmured Rowanheart. "But I agree. Let's rest somewhere in the open, where nothing can sneak up on us."

The three turned their eyes to Wolfpelt, who had just gotten up. He sniffed and wiped his mouth once more. "I'm fine," he said. "I'm fine. I'll make it. What were ya'll sayin'?"

"That we should rest," Rowanheart repeated. He flicked his tail down the tunnel. "There ought to be somewhere safe for us to lie down for a while in there."

----

They nestled together under a dim beam of moonlight with their pelts brushing and their hearts as close as any cats' could be from different Clans. Skyeyes chose to lie next to Rowanheart, whom she found herself gravitating towards seemingly automatically, and by Nightstorm, who reminded her so much of her mother. They were hungry, but they didn't care. They were cold, but they didn't care. Each of them were too involved with wondering how much longer they had, whether this would be their last moment or whether the Dark Forest had something so much more sinister waiting behind the next bend. Skyeyes doubted that a conversation would ever start up. Not that she minded one bit. She was content to lie with her pelt pressed again Rowanheart for ages, though even this small act of intimacy made her feel guilty inside. Would Sandstone be angry with her were she to tell him? No, he'd understand.

She was worried. She wasn't worried so much for herself anymore: the others wouldn't let her believe for a second that she wouldn't be the one to emerge from the tunnel when dawn finally came. She was worried for them, but most of all, she was upset. If she really was the one to survive the cave, why in StarClan's name couldn't she take at least one of these cats with her? They didn't deserve to die.

"So," Wolfpelt said after an uncomfortable silence. He nodded to Nightstorm. "Ya'll know all about the Dark Forest in ShadowClan, eh?"

The longhaired she-cat flicked her tail. "How typical. You judge me so quickly for being from ShadowClan."

"Well you were the only one who knew about that Macabre guy!" he protested. "Just spill it. What're ShadowClan doin' messin' around with the Dark Forest? They're the ones who started this whole mess in the first place!"

"ShadowClan were dying when Hollowstar called upon the Dark Forest!" Nightstorm hissed. Her fur began to rise on her haunches. "I hear, though these are just stories, that half the Clan were dead from starvation, and that some ShadowClan cats were so desperate, they…" She trailed off. Skyeyes traced her spine with her tail-tip, and Nightstorm let out a sigh. "They turned to cannibalism."

The cats grimaced. "Great StarClan!" exclaimed Wolfpelt.

Nightstorm's brow furrowed. "Yes, great StarClan," she muttered spitefully. "Everyone says that, but when have StarClan ever done anything for us, hmm? Redclaw, the medicine cat at that time, begged and begged StarClan to save his cats, but he received no answer. What else was Hollowstar to do? He asked Macabre to give ShadowClan strength. He had no way of knowing what Macabre would do to them. At first, the Dark Forest shielded ShadowClan, and they didn't ask for a sacrifice. ShadowClan were safe in his hands. Then things started to turn for the worst. Macabre began to steal ShadowClan kits and force them to join the Dark Forest. He completely took over Hollowstar's duties. Cats were dying. Cats were working for the Dark Forest without even having died. Hollowstar knew he'd had enough and rallied the Clan to fight them off. Once more, Redclaw tried to speak to StarClan, but there was no answer. They were on their own. StarClan have turned their backs on ShadowClan numerous times." She narrowed her eyes. "And they have turned their backs on me."

"Oh spare us your sob story," grumbled Wolfpelt. "You think life in ShadowClan is so tough? 'Woe is us! All the Clans hate us and StarClan are gone!'" Skyeyes stifled a laugh at his high-pitched imitation. "Pah! Everyone thinks bein' in SkyClan is a real trip, like prey just falls from the damn sky. We _jump _for our prey. Want to know the number one cause of death in SkyClan? Starvation. And not because there's not enough prey. Oh, there's plenty, if you know how to catch it. It's the catchin' it part that's so dangerous. Breakin' a leg is certain death. Sure, when a clanmate is injured, we all pitch in at first, helpin' 'em get to their dens and sometimes bringin' 'em food. But here's the truth: SkyClan cats hunt for themselves. Toms hunt for their she-cats if they've got kits, and we all take turns huntin' for Nettlewhisker, but other than that, you're on your own in SkyClan. So when a cat breaks their leg, we feel sorry for 'em, feed 'em for a bit, and then Nettlewhisker sits 'em down. He says somethin' along the lines of, 'Hey, you're hurt, and we're all real sorry, but if you don't heal, you don't eat, and if you don't eat, you _will_ die.' I guess the hardest part is watchin' 'em try to hunt and watchin' 'em fail. After a few days you see their ribs. They sometimes joke that it's a slow day or that the prey just got out of reach. But we all know. After a quarter moon they've got hollow eyes. And after that, well, we're diggin' their grave." Wolfpelt laughed. "That's about the only thing in SkyClan no cat does for himself."

"That's barbaric!" cried Rowanheart. "What about your elders?"

Wolfpelt grinned. "Oh, you mean, _elder_?"

Rowanheart lowered his eyes.

"It's alright. Ole' Leechbite hunts for himself, believe it or not. SkyClan cats keep their jumping ability right until their dying day."

"Oh, and that wasn't a sob story?" growled Nightstorm.

"No, I think of it as more of a horror story," Wolfpelt chuckled. "It's supposed to make ya' steer clear of SkyClan. It ain't all sunshine and rainbows."

"I don't think it's like that anywhere," grumbled Rowanheart.

"Well what's life like in RiverClan?" Skyeyes asked.

Rowanheart purred. "It's not a sob story like ShadowClan," he joked, but Nightstorm let out a growl in spite of the humor in his tone. "And it's not a horror story to scare poor kits out of their minds like SkyClan," he added, dipping his head to Wolfpelt, who just snorted with a proud smile on his face. "RiverClan is RiverClan. I enjoy my life. I love to swim, I love to fish—even if I don't always catch anything—and I love my family." He paused, and a peaceful look came over him. "I have a younger sister named Koipaw," he said. "When my mother was carrying her, there was a food shortage in RiverClan. We all tried to scrap together what little we could find to try and feed ourselves, but there wasn't enough to go around, and there surely wasn't enough for a queen to get the right nutrition to nourish her kits. I'm the oldest kit from my mother's first litter. One of my brothers was born stillborn, another got sick, and the other…mother won't tell me, but I think he was eaten. Mother tried to have a second litter, but there wasn't enough food, and she lost them too. When she was expecting Koipaw, I knew I had to make sure that this kit was born healthy. I was a young warrior then, and I searched all over RiverClan territory looking for plump prey. I didn't find anything, and I refused to go home hungry, so…" He looked away shyly. "I wandered onto ThunderClan territory."

"Look who's high and mighty now!" chortled Wolfpelt. "Stealing from ThunderClan! Don't you know they woulda just given it to ya' if you asked?"

Skyeyes snorted. "What are you talking about?"

"ThunderClan _are_ the push-over Clan," he explained. Skyeyes narrowed her eyes at him, but Wolfpelt only shrugged. "Hey, I'm just statin' a fact, sweetheart. Name one story about a Clan helpin' another Clan that don't involve ThunderClan in some way."

"Yes, yes, you've made your point," growled Rowanheart. "Now, may I finish my story?"

The SkyClan tom flicked his tail. "Don't mind me."

"Anyway. Yes, so I went into ThunderClan territory. Even if I felt guilty, I knew I had to find food. I hunted for hours and found absolutely nothing." He shook his head. "I don't know how you do it, Dawnstorm. The forest was so loud, but I could never spot any birds or mice. Dejected, I was about to turn back when all of a sudden I came to that little Twoleg place, you know, the one next to SkyClan territory? I smelled something like fish and scrambled up the fence to see what it was. There was a small pond behind one of the Twoleg's nest. There were fish there that were brightly colored, huge, and so very slow I knew I could catch one, even on an empty stomach. So I did. I stalked the largest, fished it out, and stood to marvel at it. It was massive! It would feed Mother for days if I could only get it to her! I was about to leave when I heard a laugh from above me. I looked over to see a huge black kittypet. I panicked, thinking it would try and attack me. I was so skinny back then it wouldn't take much to break me in half. But the kittypet only laughed and pointed to my catch.

"'I've been trying to nab one of those koi for ages,' the kittypet said.

"'What's a koi?' I asked. I'd never heard of one before.

"'That's what the fish is called,' the kittypet replied. 'My housefolk like to keep them around. I've tried a hundred times to catch one, but I'm no good at fishing.' The kittypet seemed nice, so I relaxed. Then it asked, 'So are you one of those wild cats I hear about?'

"'Yeah,' I said. 'I'm from RiverClan.'

"'RiverClan? Never heard of them.' The kittypet looked like he wanted to keep talking, but then there was a yowl from the Twoleg den, and I took off. I just grabbed the fish and ran all the way back to RiverClan. I had to sneak into RiverClan camp to be sure no one demanded that I share my fish. I got it to Mother, and she ate it so quickly I thought she'd choke on it. The next day, she gave birth to my beautiful little sister. When Mousepelt asked her what she was going to name my sister, she named her after the fish that gave her enough strength to deliver." Rowanheart let out a rumbling purr. "Koipaw is the most important thing in the world to me."

"She's the little calico that stepped up at the Selection right?" asked Nightstorm.

Rowanheart nodded.

"She's beautiful," purred Nightstorm. "I had a daughter not unlike her once." Wolfpelt rolled his eyes across the row, and Skyeyes bit back laughter. "Her name was Leafwhisker. I was so proud of her."

"What happened to her?" asked Rowanheart.

The ShadowClan she-cat waved it away with her tail. "Oh, the usual. Killed, in a prey dispute. We were simply out of prey—other than those disease-infested rats, and we're not going to even touch those. So we snuck prey from WindClan. They called us out on it, and that impulsive cat Patchstar leapt right into battle, even if the accusations were entirely true. And since warriors these days over look the part of the warrior code that says that we do not need to kill to win our battles, she was brutally murdered, by Sleetfur, no less."

"Sleetfur!" cried Wolfpelt. "How in StarClan's name did you resist tearing his throat out?"

Nightstorm let out a purr. "Easy," she said. "I promised myself to outlive him in the cave. And when the situation arose, well, I took matters into my paws."

Rowanheart and Skyeyes exchanged glances. "What do you mean?" asked Rowanheart.

"I tripped him," she replied with a shrug. "How did you think I'd hurt my paw? The damn tom weighs as much as a tree when he's running for his cowardly life. I tripped him, and when he lay, helpless, he met my eyes and asked me to help him. And I said no. Why would I help the tom that took my daughter from me? And know what? I enjoyed watching him die almost as much as I enjoyed having been the one to cause his death. Perhaps StarClan hears prayers from ShadowClan after all."

They were all awe-struck, but Wolfpelt smothered over his horror with a loud scoff. "Now I see why no one pities ShadowClan. Ya'll seem quite capable of fightin' yer own battles."

"Yes," she replied. "We're a proud Clan."

"Did you have any other children, Nightstorm?" Skyeyes asked.

"Oh yes. I had a son, named Duskpelt. He was the kind of warrior every ShadowClan queen wants. He was no pushover. He took control when he wanted to, he fought his own battles ruthlessly, and he stood up for Leafwhisker when she was alive. My poor daughter—he scared away every suitor she had! He didn't think a single one of them were good enough for his beloved sister." Nightstorm smiled broadly. "I thought one day I'd see him grow up to become ShadowClan's leader."

"But he was killed too?" mumbled Rowanheart.

She shook her head. "No. The Selection took him. He faced it bravely, like I knew he would, but…" Nightstorm gazed off. "Dognose told me later on that he had heard Duskpelt screaming not far from the exit of the cave just before dawn. He'd almost made it."

The cats fell silent. Skyeyes felt herself beginning to grow nervous. This was as good a time as any to tell them the truth about her. She drew herself up and opened her mouth. "I need to say something," she mumbled. "I'm not…guys?"

None of them were looking at her. She frowned at Nightstorm before she felt Rowanheart's fur rise. He got quickly to his feet. "What are they?" he hissed darkly.

"What?" asked Skyeyes. "What are you looking at?"

"They look like cats," mumbled Nightstorm. She stood too. "What do they want?"

"Nothing good, I'm sure," growled Wolfpelt. He got up and stood at the head of the group. "What do you want?!" he shouted at them.

Skyeyes ducked under Rowanheart to get a glimpse at the newest threat. She saw six shapes moving towards them: they were bright and they lit up the darkness as they walked. They looked like fallen stars but were in the shapes of cats.

"Maybe it's StarClan!" she said hopefully. "They've come to help us!"

"Fat chance," hissed Wolfpelt. He unsheathed his claws. "Don't come any closer!" he threatened. "Take one more step and I'll flay you!"

They halted instantly. Wolfpelt blinked and looked back at them with a confused look before one of the figured stepped forward. They watched with disbelieving eyes as its shimmering form dimmed and grew more real. Long, golden tabby fur cascaded over a lean frame, and gorgeous brown eyes scanned the chosen cats. The cat, who Skyeyes figured was a she-cat, flicked a long tail with luscious fur hanging off of it. She was absolutely stunning. She let out a melodic purr. She turned those eyes on Wolfpelt.

"Oh Wolfpelt," she purred. "Have you forgotten me already?"

All the color drained from Wolfpelt's face. His lips turned downwards, and the lower half of his body sank to the ground. "No," he whispered. He shook his head violently. "No! You're not her!" The SkyClan tom tried to scramble away, but the beautiful she-cat followed him. "Get away from me!" he snarled. "You're not Ruefur! You can't be!"

"Why are you so doubtful?" purred the she-cat. Wolfpelt froze as her fluffy tail wound its way under his chin. He shut his eyes and bit down hard on his lip. "Look at me, Wolfpelt," she purred. "It's me, your love. It's Ruefur."

"NO!" he howled. He shoved her away and fled backwards a few paces. "This is a fowl trick! I won't let a fake like you ruin my memory of her!"

As the Ruefur copy continued to pursue Wolfpelt, two other figures stepped forward from the group. The first darkened until its fur was black as night. Its eyes seemed to catch fire and burn across its face. They were the same sun-bright yellow as Nightstorm's. The tom locked eyes with her, and a sly smile eased its way across his lips.

"Long time no see, Mother," he chuckled. "Look who I brought."

The tom grazed the second shape with his tail, and along its wake beautiful tortoiseshell dapples sprang to life on the cat's fur. Soon the color spread to its entire body, and a pair of leaf-green eyes blinked open. The two cats began to stalk towards Nightstorm, who looked about ready to collapse from shock.

"Duskpelt?" she mumbled. "…Leafwhisker?"

The two cats let out identical purrs. "Oh Mother," they said in unison, "we've missed you."

"Get away from me!"

Skyeyes swung her head about. She thought that Nightstorm had been the one to cry out, but she saw that it was Rowanheart, who was pinned against the cave wall by a tiny silver tabby tom, who flicked his tail in amusement as he let out a laugh.

"It's me, Flintpaw!" the tom purred. "Why're you acting so strange, Rowanheart?"

"You're a fake!" shrieked the tom. "Get away!"

Skyeyes felt her limbs lock up. She turned her head slowly to the last figure, the one that hadn't materialized just yet. Her breathing turned ragged as it paced slowly forward.

"Dawnpaw," Skyeyes breathed. "You're Dawnpaw, aren't you?"

The figure nodded and let out a purr as identical blue fur appeared, and a pair of identical blue eyes stared at Skyeyes from the darkness. It was as if her sister had never died.

"He was right, you know," purred Dawnpaw, "to name you after your eyes." Skyeyes screamed as all of sudden her sister's face twisted in fury, and her teeth doubled in length. Those perfect eyes darkened to crimson. Dawnpaw cocked her head to one side and smiled a smile full of hatred. "They're the only thing the that'll be left of you by the time I'm through."

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Next chapter will be out sometime this week, I promise! The only thing that annoys me about this chapter is that I wonder whether there would be any kind of Twoleg place at all if SkyClan were still in their old territory. Well, let's just assume that there is, for the heck of it. I'm trying to take this slow since there aren't many cats and I can't just kill them all off without much development (or can I...?) Please review! It makes me so happy to read your reviews, even if you hated it!


	9. Truth Hurts

Hi everyone! I'm really sorry that this took so long--I just got really greedy after getting so many reviews, and I kept thinking, 'I'll just wait for a few more before I upload the next chapter'. After four days of checking the web page and having the same number of reviews, I got so disappointed that I didn't want anything to do with this story for a while ^^' I'm really sorry about that! Thanks to all the people that have reviewed so far! You guys are my heroes! I don't like this chapter very much simply because I wrote it over the course of four days instead of sitting down to write it all at once like I usually do. There are probably a ton of errors (which makes me feel so much like Erin Hunter, who seemingly doesn't edit or even re-read anything she/he/them writes). Plz enjoy and please R&R!

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**Chapter Eight **

It didn't take the Clan long to figure out what Sandstone had done just before Skyeyes left. The fact that he came back to camp disheveled, out of breath, and yet somewhat happy all at once gave it away. He bore the satisfied smile of someone who'd accomplished something great. All the glory of his revelation faded with the sun. The second it grew dark, Sandstone plastered his eyes to the tree line, searching for any sign of the dawn, and with it, his love. He hadn't been at it long when the rest of the Clan decided to go in for the night, leaving him along to sit his vigil. In a way, he found it to be quite fitting. Had his warrior ceremony fallen on a normal day, he'd be sitting vigil anyway.

Were this a normal day, Skyeyes would be sitting right there next to him.

He gave the empty place to his right a solemn look. How he wished she were there. How he wished he could shower her with love and make her his. He was so afraid for her despite his confident attitude. Truth be told, he was just pessimistic enough to not put all his hopes into Skyeyes surviving. He didn't want to doubt her, yet he didn't want to believe it. He told himself that believing it would only bring her death in the end. It reminded him of his father, whom he'd sworn up and down would come back to him that day of the battle with WindClan. While he did return, he didn't do it on his own power.

Sandstone heaved a sigh and shut his eyes. _Please, StarClan, _he thought, _if you're there and if you care for ThunderClan…if you care for _me _in the least bit…please bring Skyeyes back to us. _

"She must be on your mind."

The tawny tom jumped at the sound of his friend's voice. He whipped his head about to see Nightpaw, who curled his tail in amusement. "Don't worry," he chuckled. "I'm not going to tackle you like Kestrelwing." Upon hearing about Sandstone new 'relationship', Kestrelwing had bowled the young warrior over; congratulating him while Sandstone writhed underneath the large tom's paws. He'd nearly dislocated Sandstone's shoulder. "I'm just a bit worried."

Sandstone shrugged. When he tried to speak, Sandstone stopped himself.

"It's okay," Nightpaw said. "It's not a real vigil, so we can talk."

He nodded. "Thanks," Sandstone mumbled, "for coming over."

The black tom shrugged. "I'm as worried about her as you are," he replied. "Besides. You haven't slept at all in the past two days. Frankly, you look terrible." Sandstone snorted with a faint smile. "No, really, you do. Were Leopardclaw here, he'd tell you it was good for you, and if you refused, he'd force you." Nightpaw laughed. "I'm not Leopardclaw, but I can just as easily shove poppy seeds down your throat."

Sandstone shook his head with a purr. "No thank you," he laughed. "I'm fine. I'm not tired at all."

"So you say," mumbled Nightpaw, "but your body says something different. Sandstone, you staggered into camp, and I'm not going to believe that it was due to your 'excitement' over confessing to Skyeyes. You're exhausted, and you keeling over isn't going to help her any." The tom's brown eyes grew serious. "You know I'd wake you if she came back, right?"

The new warrior nodded. "I know, I know. I trust you."

"Then go get some sleep," Nightpaw replied. "It's not healthy."

Sandstone purred as he stood and stretched. "You know, you'd make a fair medicine cat one day."

Nightpaw snorted as if he'd suggested he join ShadowClan. "Oh yeah, and do you want me to peel off my claws one by one? No thank you. I want to be a warrior and make ThunderClan proud."

"But Leopardclaw's gotten a bit grey around the muzzle," Sandstone went on. "He could use someone sharp like you to help him every once in a while."

"I'm a warrior and I'm staying one," Nightpaw said with diction. "I'm not changing my mind."

"Fine, okay," chuckled Sandstone. "I'm going to…" He trailed off when he glimpsed the warriors' den. He felt his muscles relaxing. _That's my den now_. "I'm going to go sleep."

"Don't bother in there," Nightpaw laughed. "Kestrelwing is snoring again. Just go sleep in Leopardclaw's den. It's not like he'll mind."

Sandstone smiled and dipped his head to his friend. "Thanks a lot, Nightpaw."

Nightpaw shrugged. "Think of it this way—one day, you're going to owe me. I won't say when or even what you'll have to do. But one day I'll ask for the favor in return, and you won't be able to say no."

The tawny tom cocked his head. "That sounds like a threat."

"It's not meant to," chuckled Nightpaw. He waved it away with his tail. "Never mind, never mind. Go get some sleep." The black tom turned his attention back towards the front of the camp. "I'll keep my eyes on things. I'll tell you if anything turns up."

Sandstone smiled. "Goodnight, Nightpaw."

"Goodnight."

With a yawn, Sandstone ambled into the medicine cat's den, his limbs like water. He slumped into the nearest den he could find. He hadn't realized how tired he was. Sandstone curled up in a ball and covered his nose with the tip of his tail.

_StarClan, _he prayed, _you told Leopardclaw that I had a bright future ahead of me. None of that will matter if you take Skyeyes from me. You know that. She's everything to me and…I love her. Please bring her back to me. _

"Please…" he whispered into the night air as sleep overtook him.

---

Part of Skyeyes wanted to run. The other part knew she had this coming. He sister—no, could this _thing _even be thought of as her sister?—came nearer. Every instinct in her told her to run, but her paws were glued to the ground. The fake came closer and raised a paw as Dawnpaw had done only a day before. Her cheek strung at the thought of her claws tearing right through her flesh.

_Don't worry, _she told herself with a morbid grin. _I'm pretty sure that's not where she's aiming. _

"Isn't this a pretty picture?" she purred. "Two sisters: both alike in so many ways and yet so different all at once."

"You're not my sister," hissed Skyeyes. "You're just a Dark Forest trick."

The she-cat recoiled like she'd been hit. "You wound me!" she cried. "Here I am, visiting my darling sister in death, and you do nothing but mock me? I'm wounded, Skyeyes, wounded."

Skyeyes stole a glance at her comrades. Nightstorm was pressed against a wall by her kits. Wolfpelt was plastered to the cave floor, bowing beneath the she-cat. She seemed to be ablaze: her fur casting off an orange glow like fire that cast unforgiving light on Wolfpelt's solemn face.

"You were always jealous of me, weren't you?" the fake went on. "You corpulent little witch. All the things I had in life you wanted. You wanted my hunting skills—"

"_My _hunting skills!" Skyeyes snapped back. "You always stole my prey!"

"You wanted my beauty—"

"We look the same!"

"You wanted my mate—"

"I hate that cowardly piece of fox-dung!"

"And lastly, you wanted my life. You wanted to steal the breath from my body, didn't you? Well, you've gotten your wish." The fake weaved her body around Skyeyes, who was helpless against her advances. It was one thing to see your twin, your own image, turn their claws against you and yet another thing to see your dead twin with hate in their eyes. The fake let out a wicked laugh. "Oh look at you shiver." She traced Skyeyes' wound with her tail tip. "Did the bats give you this? How awful."

Skyeyes didn't have any time to dodge before the fake's claws sliced right through her fur. With a yowl, she toppled over onto one side with the fake on her belly. She struggled and kicked up with all her might, but her twin held her fast to the ground, clawing her way up towards her throat.

"You said you wanted to fight, didn't you?!" Dawnpaw howled. "You said you'd fight to the death!" She knocked Skyeyes upside the head, and everything became blurry for several heartbeats. The fake locked her claws right into Skyeyes' shoulders and slammed her into the ground. "Here I am! Get up and fight, oh noble warrior of ThunderClan!"

Skyeyes choked back a fearful scream. She batted her back legs feebly against her attacker, but her blows had no effect. She writhed and tried to free herself, but the more she struggled, the larger the pool of blood around her head grew. She felt her limbs going numb. She felt her body growing still, quiet. She wanted to shut her eyes and drift away. So much for the prophecy. So much for anything. She just wanted to rest…

The fake hooked her claws under Skyeyes' left eye and drew her face closer. "Oh you can't go dying just yet," she purred. "I've got to get those pretty eyes of yours out of your head before you ruin them." She let Skyeyes' head crash back down and poised her claw right over her eye. "Don't blink."

The fake let out a high-pitched battle cry and was about to strike when something crashed into the side of her. Another blur scooped the dazed warrior up, and everything went blank for several minutes, during which she stared at what appeared to be the underside of an unusually large cat. Then her savior moved away, and Skyeyes saw double—literally.

"What…what's going on?" she mumbled as the cat that knocked her down eased her onto her feet. She looked over at him and scanned his face. He looked somewhat familiar, what with his firm, handsome face, muscular frame, and bright amber eyes. The most distinctive feature on him was a line of black spots that ran down his spine. She knew only one other cat that had that marking. He chuckled at her less than conspicuous assessment of him.

"I don't think you'll remember me," he chuckled. "My name is Hawkwing. I'm Sandstone's father."

"Sandstone's father," Skyeyes echoed. "Then that means…" Her eyes trailed over to where the two Dawnpaws were wrestling. The lighter of the two, the one that saved Skyeyes from being blinded, pinned the fake to the ground with a shriek. She lifted a paw and quickly sliced through the fake's throat. She coughed and twitched in her death throws before the fake lay still. "StarClan have come to help us," Skyeyes murmured. "You're here to help."

Hawkwing nodded. "Yes." He lifted his head to speak to his fellow StarClan member. "Have you finished up already?" he called.

Skyeyes turned to see her sister straightening. She wiped her mouth and dipped her head. "Yes, Hawkwing," she replied. She walked right past Skyeyes without acknowledging her and stood beside the tawny tom.

Hawkwing laid his tail across her shoulders. "She's never had proper mentoring," he teased, shooting her a sly grin. "So I've taken her under my wing—er, that wasn't meant to be a pun."

The tawny tom let out a hearty laugh as the two she-cats turned on one another. Dawnpaw looked guiltily away as angry boiled up in Skyeyes' face. "How could you do this to me?" Skyeyes hissed. "I'm sure you thought that this whole Selection business was below your high and mighty-ness, but how could you let this happen?"

Dawnpaw shuffled her feet. "I was scared, okay?" she mumbled. "I didn't want to do it. I left Owlmoon that morning thinking that I'd run away. I wanted to go so far away that no one would recognize me anymore, but then I saw the berries. I thought about killing myself just briefly. I didn't seriously consider it. I was about to run away when all of a sudden I realized I'd already eaten one. I don't know what came over me. Then I ate a second one. Then a third. My limbs started to seize up, and I couldn't run anymore. Then I…" She shrugged. "Then I died."

"I don't think I can ever forgive you," Skyeyes growled. "Not for stealing everything that was mine all my life, not for wounding me for just wanting to help you, and not for pulling my life right out from under me! I won't forgive you!"

Dawnpaw nodded. "I know. And I don't blame you. Not one bit. Just…just tell Mother that I'm sorry, okay? And tell Owlmoon to forget me. There are plenty of other she-cats in the forest."

Skyeyes suddenly remembered her friends and whipped her head around. "Don't worry about them," Hawkwing told her. "Our other warriors are finishing up right about now." Skyeyes saw a black tom chasing off the two fakes that attacked Nightstorm. She saw a shimmering white figure spitting at the apprentice that cornered Rowanheart. And lastly, a black-and-white tom pursued Wolfpelt's temptress as the SkyClan tom rose to his feet. The cats then turned to bid fairwell to the living. "That's all we can do for you right now," Hawkwing said. "We'll be watching you in the future. There's going to be a bit of a clash soon, so don't worry if the walls start to shake. That'll be us winning." He let out a purr and turned to his new apprentice. "You go on ahead."

Dawnpaw dipped her head. "Yes, Hawkwing," she mowed. She turned her eyes on Skyeyes and then looked away. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "Really, I am."

Before Skyeyes could respond, she bounded off, the other cats leaving with her. The living were slowly recovering from their ordeals. Out of them all, Wolfpelt looked the worst. He had a horrified expressed on his face and wide eyes that didn't relax even after Nightstorm touched her tail tip to his shoulder. He only stared at her silently.

"Skyeyes," Hawkwing said. She turned back to him. "I want to give you something."

"What?"

"A gift." The tawny warrior leaned forward and touched his nose gently to hers. She felt something coursing through her and gave a squeak of surprise, which the warrior laughed at. He backed away. "I'm giving you the gift to seek our advice," Hawkwing purred. "You can call on us at any time. You need only call us by name."

"Us?" Skyeyes echoed.

"StarClan. We're here for you, Skyeyes. We're fighting for you."

The tom stepped away and pelted after the StarClan warriors that had almost completely disappeared. The four of them vanished through the walls of the cave. Skyeyes slumped down onto her belly. She felt so exhausted, and the wounds on her shoulders and belly stung like fire. She heard pawsteps and looked up to see Rowanheart hurrying over. He bent over her, and she saw blood running down the side of his throat. It looked like the apprentice that cornered him had gotten his teeth into him but not deep enough to do much damage.

"Are you okay?" Rowanheart breathed.

She nodded. "I'm fine," she replied. She tried to stand to prove it. "I'm—"

Pain spiked in her leg, and she toppled back onto the ground. This time, when she looked up, she saw Wolfpelt and Nightstorm over her. "I'm okay," she repeated. "Really."

"I can carry her," Nightstorm said.

"No, your shoulder is torn," Rowanheart replied. "Wolfpelt, you do it." His eyes narrowed. Wolfpelt's eyes were locked on something so far away that it seemed unreal. He looked like he was somewhere else. "Wolfpelt?"

The SkyClan tom flinched. "Oh, yeah, uh, sure."

"I'm fine!" Skyeyes insisted. She tried to stand again, and this time, she managed to balance on shaky legs. "See? Let's keep moving. StarClan are doing their part, and we've got to do ours. We have to get to the exit before dawn." She shuffled her feet. "And I need your help. All of your help. I'm not strong enough to do it on my own."

"We're here," murmured Nightstorm as she rubbed her cheek against Skyeyes'. The ThunderClan she-cat flinched: she wasn't expecting such a blatant show of affection. "We're going to get you there no matter what. Duskpelt made me swear it."

"W-W-We should be gettin' outta here," murmured Wolfpelt. Skyeyes noticed his legs were shaking. "There ain't nothin' left. We gotta keep goin'. W-W-We gotta move on."

"He's right." Skyeyes felt her face go hot when Rowanheart brushed against her. He stood beside her with his shoulder against hers. "I'll stay here to help you keep your balance," he whispered. "Wolfpelt, you lead the way."

The SkyClan tom nodded absentmindedly. "Sure, okay." He started off into the darkness, but a loud hiss from Nightstorm stopped him. Skyeyes looked up from her paws.

"Wolfpelt," she growled. "That's the way we came."

Blinking, Wolfpelt looked from her to the darkness. He frowned and nodded. "Ye-Yeah, so it is." He walked past them with his tail dragging through the dust. As he past Nightstorm, she swatted him over the head. He spit in surprise and leapt back. "What are you doin'?!" he hissed. "What was that for?!"

"What in StarClan's name is wrong with you?!" she shouted. "You're going to lead us all to our deaths if you stagger through the darkness like that! Maybe you're ready to roll over and die, but I won't let you take the rest of us down with you!" Nightstorm lunged for him, but Wolfpelt dodged. "Well?!" she shouted. "Spit it out!"

Wolfpelt froze. Mouth agape, he scanned the lot of them with wide eyes before his face fell. Skyeyes found herself sitting. Standing for so long was getting exhausting. When she looked down, she saw a pool of blood slowly forming at her feet. She swore under her breath and hoped no cat saw.

"I-I-I don't have a sob story," Wolfpelt mumbled. "There's nothin' wrong."

"Fox-dung," hissed Nightstorm. "Say it."

"There ain't nothin' wrong with me!" he spat. "It's nothin'! I'm just…I'm just surprised, alright! Weren't ya'll surprised when all of a sudden some dead cats _appeared _out of nowhere? I never thought…" He drifted off with a blank expression. "I never thought I'd see Ruefur again, even if it…wasn't her." Wolfpelt snorted loudly. "Hmph. I loved her, if ya'll didn't figure. I, uh…I was poison for 'er though. Yellowstripe told me so every damned day. Can't even count the times she tole' me to stay the hell away from her sister. But I was…determined. Ruefur was everything to me, but I…I was the opposite of her. All I ever did was crush her dreams. She wanted kits, I didn't. She wanted me to stay in camp more, spend more time with her, but I wanted to work towards being deputy. And when the fire swept through the camp, she…she wanted to go in and save the elders, and I didn't. I was already carrying one of Petalpelt's kits, and I tole' her there wasn't enough time, and that we should just give up. She wouldn't take that as an answer."

Wolfpelt's shoulders slumped. He cracked a small smile. "There. That's my tear-jerker of a sob story. I lost the mate I didn't deserve. And I-I-I know it was my fault. I kept runnin' that night…without even lookin' around to see she'd already gone. I only realized what'd really happened when Nettlewhisker tole' us he found five bodies instead of four. Then I…did the math and…well, I reckoned what'd happened." He laughed dryly. He met Nightstorm's eyes. "Happy? You glad that I…" He trailed off and cocked his head. "Hey, are yew cryin'?"

Nightstorm sniffed loudly and shouldered past him. "I'll lead the way, thank you," she growled, but when she turned to look at Rowanheart and Skyeyes, Skyeyes saw tears on her cheeks. "Let's go."

Rowanheart helped Skyeyes to her feet. She watched Nightstorm's outline disappear into the shadows, followed by Wolfpelt. She and Rowanheart were lagging far behind.

"It's okay," he whispered. "We'll get there, Skyeyes. I promise."

Skyeyes gasped. "How did—"

"Shh," Rowanheart purred. "It's okay. Frostpelt told me. She insisted that I not be mad at you." For a brief instant, the smile on his face vanished and was replaced by a stern look. Skyeyes looked away. "I wanted to believe that you were the one to end this curse forever," he mumbled. "I kept thinking that even if I died, you'd save my mother and Koipaw from ever having to go through this torture. Hearing that you're not…that your sister was…it's…" He shook his head. "It's hard, but I understand. It must've been painful for you to go in her place."

"Yes," Skyeyes murmured. "I-I-It was."

"I won't tell the others," he went on. "It doesn't seem like their saviors revealed your secret, so I'll keep them in the dark. It'll give them…hope."

Skyeyes feigned a smile. "Thank you, Rowanheart."

"Hurry up, ya'll!"

Skyeyes saw the hazy outlines of Wolfpelt and Nightstorm waiting for them up ahead. "We'll never get there before dawn at this pace!" Nightstorm shouted. "Let's go!"

It was one thing to lie to the Dark Forest. It was another to lie to these cats. Skyeyes lowered her eyes and felt her body rocking back and forth with waves of guilt.

"Skyeyes?" Rowanheart asked. "Are you okay? You're…you're staggering."

The blue-gray she-cat nodded weakly. "I'm—"

The last thing she remembered seeing was Rowanheart's scared face before her eyes rolled into her head and she hit the ground.

* * *

So my question to ya'll this time is which ancient cats would you like to see in the battle between StarClan and the Dark Forest that's happening next chapter? Which cats do you want to see giving Skyeyes advice? Anyone? Bueller? I'll shut up now.


	10. Whispers in the Dark

Right after I uploaded chapter 8, I thought, 'hey, why don't I start on chapter 9?' and thus this was finished. We're not to the war yet--that's next chapter. But some of you will like this chapter and others of you, namely myself, will not. I'll let you figure out what on earth I'm talking about. Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Nine **

_A frigid breeze is coming over me. Frost seizes my limbs, and I feel my heart stop. My body is drifting on an icy current, taking me away from the reality of the world I once knew. I'm afraid, and yet I'm not. I'm regretful, and yet I'm not. I feel at peace for the first time in my whole life. A sweet purring that seems to come from all directions drowns out thoughts of Rowanheart, Nightstorm, and Wolfpelt. I see nothing ahead of or behind me. _

_Everything's so cold. Where am I? _

"StarClan."

_The voice has no owner—at least none that I can see. _

_Who are you? _

"It doesn't matter." _The voice laughed. _"You're not staying long."

_Why have I come here? _

"It's simple. You died."

_I died? _

"Yes. The Dark Forest did quite a number on you, Skyeyes. You lost too much blood. Rowanheart and the others tried to patch you up, but they couldn't find any herbs to stop the bleeding. In the end, you died."

_But I'm not going to stay here. _

"No, Skyeyes. You have to go back. We can't let this curse go on any longer."

_There's a light shining far off in the distance. It warms me. It warms my face and warms my heart. I shut my eyes and smile at the way it caresses my fur. The light brushes against me as if it were alive, and when I open my eyes again, I see that it's over taken my vision. I'm bathed in light. _

_ It feels so good here. I want to stay. _

"I'm sorry, Skyeyes, but you'll have to suffer for a bit longer."

_A fuzzy figure is approaching me. He's bigger than I imagined from hearing his voice. As he grows closer, I see pale gray fur underneath layers of charcoal black stripes. The stripes swirl into target-like shapes on his flanks. His whiskers are longer than any cats' I've ever seen, and they twitch in amusement at the sight of me. He has this feeling of familiar strangeness about him, as if I've seen him in some other world a long, long time ago. He steps up to meet me with his eyes brimming with pride. Seeing him reminded me of the feeling I got by looking at Dawnpaw for too long. While our eye color and fur color are different, I watched the sheen of his fur and pictured looking at myself in a puddle. I saw the shape of his face and the ripple of his muscles. He bore so many of my qualities, and yet I didn't know who he was. _

"It's time that you live up to your full potential, Skyeyes. No more leaning on your fellow cats. No more using Dawnpaw as an excuse. Your sister is with us now, and it's time to stand on your own feet. You are strong, and you can prevail. I know you can."

_Who are you? What is your name? _

"My name is Elmwhisker. I have, and always will be, a part of you."

---

A droplet of something cold landed on Skyeyes' cheek as she grudgingly dragged herself back into her tattered body. An unavoidable smile spread across her lips. The weight of mortality landed square on her shoulders, but the remnants of the freedom of StarClan remained. She wanted to go back to that peaceful world that stole all her worries. Elmwhisker's words echoed in her head. _I have, and always will be, a part of you. _Just who was this strange cat? Why did she feel so calm in his presence? She slowly opened her eyes. At first, her vision was flooded with the blinding white light of StarClan. Then everything began to darken and take shape. She saw the jagged stalactites that hung from the cave ceiling. She saw a pair of yellow eyes belonging to a lone bat staring down at her, its head twisting this way and that in curiosity. Lastly, she watched a droplet of water as it came into focus and grew larger and larger until it landed on her face in the corner of her eye.

"I can't believe she died. StarClan were supposed to be protecting her."

Skyeyes recognized the sweet voice of Nightstorm and felt relieved. Her friends were somewhere nearby. She opened her mouth to call out to them, but her throat was dry. She tried to stand to run to them, but her limbs were numb and unresponsive. She lay there and waited for the moment to pass.

"We tried everything, Nightstorm," Rowanheart murmured. Skyeyes felt overjoyed when she heard him. "We just couldn't stop the blood. I'm…I'm sure that StarClan have done this for a reason."

"Reason my ass," hissed Wolfpelt. Yes, even the sound of _his _voice brought overwhelming relief crashing over Skyeyes. "StarClan have no power here. The Dark Forest has done this of their own accord. She made it this far pretending to be her sister. They must still think she's Dawnstorm."

Skyeyes felt a pang of sadness hit her when she heard her sister's name. _But it's not Dawnpaw's name, _she told herself. _The warrior Dawnstorm never existed. Dawnpaw will always be Dawnpaw. She's the immature brat who killed herself and ruined the Clans' chance to stop the curse. _

"I can't even imagine what she must've been thinking," Nightstorm said, and Skyeyes heard the beginning of a sob in her voice. "I don't know if…I don't if I'd have the strength to do what she did. When I heard my name called, I tried to put myself in the paws of Duskpelt, and I pretended to be as eager as he was to face the Dark Forest. But the truth is, every Selection I went to before that and heard another clanmates' name being called, I was so relieved. To get that feeling of 'thank StarClan it's not me' is…it's something so sinful and yet so natural at the same time. To then find out that you're going in that cat's place, it…it must've been heartbreaking."

_Rowanheart told them, _Skyeyes thought sadly. _I wanted to be the one to say it. _

"I didn't think of myself when I heard my name called," murmured Rowanheart. "I thought about Splashfoot, my mother, and I thought about Koipaw, and whether Pebbleclaw would teach her to be the warrior I wanted her to be. I thought about how I'd wanted so badly to see her grow, and that I'd…I'd never get the chance."

She heard Wolfpelt snort. "I only thought of how I'd go down," Wolfpelt meowed. "I don't want it to be something shameful, you know? I wanna be able to go into StarClan feeling pretty high on myself."

Nightstorm purred. "That's so typical of you."

The cats feel silent, and Skyeyes tried to move again. No luck.

"We…we should probably get going," mumbled Rowanheart. "She'd want us to try and make it to the exit even if we're not part of the prophecy."

"Haven't you realized it already?" asked Wolfpelt. "The prophecy is null. It's over now. We're on our own, and we've got to prove to the Dark Forest and to StarClan that we don't need any kinda outside force to move us."

Skyeyes heard soft pawsteps. Sh felt something pressed against her flank, and she realized as she breathed in the scent of ShadowClan that it was Nightstorm. The she-cat let out a heavy sigh. "You reminded me so much of my Leafwhisker," she whispered into her flank. "Good-bye then, Skyeyes. Be at peace."

_I'm alive, I'm alive! _Skyeyes wanted to scream, but she couldn't make the words come out. She tried to move and stand, but she couldn't. _Please look at my face! Please! My eyes are open! See! _

Nightstorm stepped away, and Skyeyes smelled pine. A nose pressed into her shoulder, and Skyeyes felt prickling run down her spine. Wolfpelt had touched her claw marks. "See ya," he muttered. "You uh…you had spunk."

He moved away, and lastly, Rowanheart rubbed his head against her flank. "Bye, Skyeyes," he whispered. "And I'm not mad. I've never been mad at you."

Skyeyes continued to struggle as she heard their footsteps walking away. _Elmwhisker, please, don't let them leave me! I can't do this on my own! Please! _

She heard a faint chuckling in her ear. _Oh yes you can, _his voice whispered. _But I'll let you keep up with 'em just for fun. _

Strength flowed into Skyeyes' limbs, and she scrambled to her feet. She tossed her head about and searched for her friends. She thought she'd lost them until she caught sight of Rowanheart's tail. "Wait!" she shouted. She heard her voice echoing off the walls. "Wait!"

A flurry of footsteps sounded through the cave, and the three cats burst into the light, their faces covered in shock. "Skyeyes!" Rowanheart shouted. He raced over to her and knocked the poor she-cat over onto her back. Though her wounds hurt, she laughed and purred as he showered her cheek and fur with licks and purred all the while. He rubbed against her and laughed into her fur. "You're alive! You're alive!" Rowanheart exclaimed. "Great StarClan!"

The ginger tom backed off of her and let her up as the other two came over, smiling broadly. "I can't believe it," chuckled Wolfpelt. "I really can't believe it." He looked her over with a smirk. "There is a StarClan."

"I was with them," Skyeyes murmured. "It was…it was amazing. I met a cat named Elmwhisker."

At the sound of that name, fear flickered into Rowanheart's eyes. He lashed his tail in annoyance as the others caught it and looked over at him. "What's wrong, Rowanheart?" asked Skyeyes.

"You don't remember him?" the RiverClan tom asked. "He was the ThunderClan deputy before Tigerheart. He uh, he died, in a battle with us. He and my apprentice, Flintpaw, were fighting too close to the river when it was flooding. I ran over to stop them, but they went in before I got there. I ran along the river to try and save them. They were moving so fast I thought I'd never get there in time. When I reached them, Flintpaw was clinging onto a rock, and Elmwhisker was latched onto his tail. Flintpaw couldn't hold him much longer. He…He told me to save Elmwhisker, even if he was from another Clan. But I couldn't. I pulled Flintpaw out, and when I got him onto the rock, Elmwhisker lost consciousness and slipped under the water. I could've saved him if I wanted to, but I…I was selfish. I let him die."

"Oh." Skyeyes shuffled her feet. "He didn't mention you. I'm sure it doesn't bother him anymore."

Rowanheart shrugged. "Want to know the best part?" he asked with a frown. "Flintpaw died. He died two moons later after a monster hit him. He never got a chance to be a warrior, and Elmwhisker died for nothing."

The three cats exchanged glances. "And his sob story emerges!" chuckled Wolfpelt. "There, doesn't it feel better to get it off your chest? Now we can keep goin'. We can keep goin' and get Skyeyes to the exit." He winked at her. "I don't care whether the prophecy was meant for you or not. I just know that StarClan picked you for somethin'. I wanna be able to help you do whatever it is."

Skyeyes purred. "Thank you, Wolfpelt."

"Well, are we gonna stand around any longer?" Wolfpelt asked. "Let's go already! First Skyeyes slows us down by dyin', and now you're all standin' around! Come on!"

He ran a ways away from them and laughed. "Hurry up!"

Nightstorm rolled her eyes. "Moments ago he would've led us back towards the entrance," she chuckled, "and now he's this eager to meet his death." She shook her head and started off towards him, muttering, "I'll never understand toms. I never will."

Rowanheart turned to Skyeyes and rubbed his cheek against hers. She flinched: he'd rubbed her hurt cheek, and she hadn't been expecting it. "I'm glad you're alive," he whispered. "Are your wounds still hurting?"

"A bit," she replied honestly. "But not nearly as much as before." She let out a purr. "I feel like a leader who's lost their first life. It's so strange to be back after I was…_gone_. Not even I can believe it."

The RiverClan tom brushed his pelt against hers. "I'll stay here," he whispered. "I promise. I'll make sure you don't fall."

Skyeyes nodded. They began to walk away, and Skyeyes looked back at the puddle of blood she'd been lying in not long ago. She smiled at her past and looked forward towards the future.

---

They'd been traveling for a few hours—although it felt like a few hours, the cats were beginning to understand that time didn't pass here—when they came across their next obstacle. When Skyeyes first saw them, she didn't even think of them as something dangerous. She remembered crouching down beneath the overpass to shield herself from the bats. She remembered feeling those leaves against her pelt, and when she saw the plants growing all over the walls and ceiling of this section of the cave. The others were just beginning to notice them by the time that Skyeyes felt queasy.

"They're kinda pretty," mumbled Nightstorm as she looked up and down. "They're everywhere. I don't remember seeing any other plants anywhere in this place."

Wolfpelt began to growl as he looked at the plants. He curled a lip. "Freakin' Dark Forest trick," he growled. "Stupid plants! Oi, stop that!" he hissed when he saw Nightstorm leaning in to sniff one. He raced over and sliced the flower right off. "Don't get too close to them! There's no telling what they are!"

Rowanheart led Skyeyes over, and she saw Nightstorm staring at something. She followed her gaze and shrieked when she saw that the plant was moving. It writhed and hissed as it began to curl up into itself. Wolfpelt and Nightstorm leapt back. "Great StarClan!" Wolfpelt exclaimed. "It moved!"

Skyeyes felt Rowanheart's fur bristling beside her, and she heard him let out a growl. "Look!" he cried. "They're moving all over the place!"

The plants were moving and rocking back and forth as if caught up in a breeze. The flowers began to sway as the vines danced and whipped about. Skyeyes looked all over the place and froze. The whole cave was alive with them, and they were inching closer and closer.

"Over there!" Nightstorm yelled.

They looked back to see that the plants were all gathering on the floor behind them. Skyeyes followed their movements and saw that they were traveling along trail of blood she'd left behind. Skyeyes gasped and looked to Rowanheart. "They're coming after me!" she cried. "They're—"

Her words were cut off by a high-pitched scream when one of the vines wrapped around her back leg and began to drag her back towards the masses. She dug her claws into the ground and tried to keep her grip. The plants yanked her back and forth until she felt her claws give way. She lost her grip and keened as she watched her friend racing after he to try and catch her. She lost sight of them as the plants wrapped around her face, her body, and all over her legs. Skyeyes lay, panting and huffing, in a cocoon of the vines, throwing her head around to find some kind of exit. She heard the muffled voices of the others and heard banging and slashing as they tried to free her. She struggled against the vines until she heard a low hiss that made her blood freeze.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Skyeyes turned her head until she was staring one of the crimson red blossoms straight in the face. It swayed back and forth like a giant snake, poised for the attack. She felt her breathing hitch.

"Please," she whispered. "Don't. Don't do this…"

The flower flinched and stood still.

A sharp needle slid out of the petals and grew closer and closer to Skyeyes until its tip pressed against her throat.

"Please," she breathed. "No!"

Claws tore though the wall of the vines overhead, and the flower screeched in anger and retreated. Skyeyes struggled and freed herself as the vines slithered away into defeat. Teeth sunk into her neck, and she screamed out of instinct, but when she saw Wolfpelt, she calmed. He dragged her out of the remnants of the vines and she breathed in cool air.

"Are..are you okay?" he panted.

Skyeyes nodded. "Yeah. I-I-I'm fine."

They heard a low yowl and Wolfpelt swore. Skyeyes looked over to see Rowanheart wrestling with several vines, and not far off was a ball of them, not unlike the one she'd been in not long ago. "They got Nightstorm!" Wolfpelt hissed. "Come help me!"

He raced over and started swiping at the vines that encircled Rowanheart's legs. Skyeyes ran to the ball and began tossing away vines. She heard Nightstorm screaming inside and tried to hurry. Just when she'd torn a hole and got a glimpse of the she-cat within, she heard someone screeching her name.

"SKYEYES GET DOWN!"

She looked over and screamed as she saw a massive red flower coming crashing towards her. She didn't have time to dodge. She didn't have time to escape.

It's over.

A flash of gray filled Skyeyes' vision, and something hot rained down on her flank. She heard screaming coming from everywhere and started to slip down. She hit the cave floor with a gasp. She scanned her body to try and find where the flower had pierced her, but she was free of any wounds. She was safe.

Who had screamed?

"WOLFPELT, NO!"

Skyeyes felt something splatter across her face and caught a glimpse of Wolfpelt hanging limply in the air. That menacing red flower seemed to sneer at him from her shoulder, and all of a sudden, everything clicked.

Wolfpelt had saved her.

"NO!" she shrieked as the plants began to recede, taking Wolfpelt with them. The plants dragged him into the midst, and she caught eyes with Wolfpelt. She lunged to try and grab him, but vines wrapped around her legs and held her still. "Get off of me!" She struggled and bit until she'd freed herself and lunged again to try and grab him. Rowanheart had joined her, and he latched onto Wolfpelt's shoulder. The SkyClan tom screamed in agony as the vines began to swallow him up.

"Let go!" he howled. "Just let me go!"

"No!" Rowanheart cried. "I can't!" The RiverClan tom began to fling broken pieces behind him as he dug and dug to free him. The more he fought the more vines appeared. Skyeyes was frozen with horror at the scene. "I won't let them! I won't let them have you!" Rowanheart gave battle cry after battle cry as he ravaged the plants with all his might. All the while, the fire began to die from Wolfpelt's eyes. Blood seemed to pour from everywhere as if every plant were boring into him.

"Let go…" he mumbled. "Please…"

"No!" The warrior rounded on Skyeyes. "Help me! Help me!"

Skyeyes leapt forward and began to try and cut the vines like Rowanheart had, but the wouldn't break. Her paws grew bloody with the effort, and the vines were rocking like an angry sea. Wolfpelt, in one last surge of strength, slapped Rowanheart paw away. "Let me go," Wolfpelt murmured. "I've done my piece…"

The fire died from my eyes, and he went limp. The plants calmed and began to slide back into a crack in the wall. They dragged Wolfpelt with them. The tip of his tail disappeared, and Skyeyes collapsed onto the ground.

They'd lost another cat.

"No, no, no!" howled Rowanheart. "Fox-dung! Damn it! Wolfpelt! Wolfpelt, no!"

Skyeyes buried her face in her paws. It was her fault. It was all her fault. She sobbed into her fur and shook her head to dispel lingering thoughts of the cheerful tom that sacrificed himself for her.

She felt something brushing against her shoulders and looked up to see Nightstorm, her head bowed and her eyes hardened. She was covered in deep scratches and soaked in blood.

"Nightstorm…" Skyeyes murmured. "You're hurt…"

Nightstorm cracked a smile but didn't look at her. "It's okay," she whispered. "Nothing hurts anymore."

"This is my fault," Rowanheart cried beside them. "I should've tried harder! I should've fought harder!"

"Stop beating yourself up," Nightstorm replied. "He wouldn't want you to."

Rowanheart looked up and met her eyes. He sank to his haunches. "I was hoping we'd be able to make it there together," he whispered. "I wanted us to go together!"

"We don't always get what we want," Nightstorm murmured. "Now stop crying. You're acting like a kit."

Nightstorm nosed Skyeyes onto her feet. "We have to keep going," she whispered. "Wolfpelt gave his life for us. We need to honor that sacrifice." She narrowed her eyes at Rowanheart. "Or are you willing to let his death go to waste?"

Rowanheart sniffed and raised his head. He truly looked like a tiny kit being scolded by his mother. Skyeyes felt the urge to comfort him, but Nightstorm stopped her with her tail. "I'm coming," he mumbled.

The black she-cat turned without another word and began to limp away. Skyeyes saw that her leg had grown worse, and she was leaving bloody pawprints in her wake. Unable to say anything more, Skyeyes followed over her, looking back every few steps to be sure Rowanheart was following. He smirked at her when he met her eyes.

"I'm here," he meowed. "I promised, didn't I? I prom…damn."

He shook his head and lowered his eyes. Skyeyes sighed looked forward. What other obstacles were waiting for her in the abyss? What else would the Dark Forest do to torture her?

She swallowed. Who would they take next?

All of a sudden, the ground beneath her feet lurched, and Skyeyes screamed as the walls began to shake. Clumps of rock rained down on them. They pelted the cats as they rushed to find cover. They crouched beneath a cracked stalagmite and watched the cave buck and twist as if it were in the throws of a massive earthquake.

"What's happening?" Nightstorm shouted over the roar of cracking earth.

"It's StarClan!" Skyeyes cried, remembering Hawkwing's words. "They're winning!"

* * *

There, you got your wish. Happy? *sniff* It's always sad when a writer likes the supporting characters more than the main, but...he was fun! Oh well. Next chapter won't be up for a while since I've spoiled you with two. Please R&R!


	11. I Need You

Hi guys, sorry this is so late. I got kinda side-tracked by school for a while. I don't like this chapter very much-it's not as good as it could be. But it will be more important later on. And by later on, I mean...never mind. You'll figure it out. Plz enjoy! R&R for the love of God!

* * *

**Chapter Ten **

_Larger and larger slabs_ of rock began to tumble down from the roof of the cave as the cats ran towards the sounds of a great battle. The ground underneath them shook with the mighty forces at work. A low rumbling sound that came from behind them kept Skyeyes from letting herself fall behind. Every part of her body ached. She just wanted to curl up and sleep for the rest of her life—not matter how short a time that may be. She looked back at Rowanheart every few minutest to be sure he wouldn't disappear. Prophecy or not, she doubted she'd be able to reach the exit if Rowanheart wasn't with her. Nightstorm led them blindly through rolling corridors that seemed to stretch on forever. Skyeyes had never run so far or so fast in her life. Just when she thought she was going to collapse from sheer exhaustion, Nightstorm's pelt was suddenly lit by a soft glow in the distance. The cats slowed to a jog and began trotting towards the source. The closer they got, the louder the howls and sounds of gnashing teeth grew. Skyeyes trembled. Were they meant to lay eyes on such a powerful war?

Then they were there, whether they deserved to be or not. Nightstorm burst into a clearing full to bursting with cats of all shapes and colors. Skyeyes felt fear rising in her. She wasn't afraid of the battle itself anymore. She was scared of the fact that she couldn't tell the StarClan cats from the Dark Forest cats. They fanned out in every crack and corner and were wrestling like LionClan warriors. To their left, a silver tabby sank its teeth into a black figure. To their right, two tabbies pinned a white cat onto the ground by his shoulders. He writhed and tried to free himself, but they had an iron grip on him. Skyeyes averted her gaze when a cry of pure agony echoed off the unforgiving walls. She felt Rowanheart moving closer to her until he shielded her completely. She understood. These Dark Forest warriors could turn their attention to the survivors at any moment. Nightstorm yelled something, but her voice was drowned out by a deep gutteral yowl for attention. The cats froze around them. Skyeyes ducked down to get a better look. She felt every hair on her pelt prickle as a tom stepped up from the crowd.

_Macabre, _she thought, shivering. _He's hideous. _

The tom in question had little to no pelt at all. He had a thick hide of something like snake skin instead that gleamed as he moved. He was nearly twice the size of the assembled cats. Skyeyes hide herself as he slowly turned his head to scan the crowd. He had eyes that were narrowed and glowing red. They luckily passed right over the survivors and found their target in a small group of cats stepping up from what seemed to be the StarClan side of the warriors.

He faced them with a sly grin. He sized them all up with a flick of his long, whip-like tail. Skyeyes flinched when she saw that the end of his tail had a pair of eyes. As she watched, it flicked out a forked tongue.

_His tail is a snake_! She thought suddenly. She pressed her ears against her head.

"Well, well, well," Macabre purred in a voice like snake's hiss. "Look who it is. The mighty StarClan cats have returned from their exile. Did you enjoy watching our exploits in your dearly beloved forest?"

The Dark Forest cats let out cries of encouragement as a black-and-white she-cat with legs like the branches of a tree stepped up to meet him. Though he towered over her, she drew herself up to look fierce.

"We've come back to claim what's ours," she snarled. "And we're willing to fight to the death for it!"

"Fight?" cried a cat in somewhere in the crowd. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time we came to blows?"

The Dark Forest cats laughed and whistled as the she-cat lashed her tail about in fury. "We've come back to claim what's ours," she repeated. "I don't care whether you're standing in our way or not. You _will _be pushed aside. StarClan are not going to give up until the forest is ours again."

"That's a pretty bold statement coming from you," chuckled Macabre. The snake behind him turned slightly to face her, and it swayed back and forth. Skyeyes saw the she-cat go rigid. "Are you so sure that you can make such a claim so blatantly in front of me?"

"Don't fall for it, Sky!" a huge ginger tom hissed as he moved to her side. "Don't look at him! It's just a trick!"

The she-cat named Sky shivered violently before she shook her head to clear her mind. She took a step back towards the group. "That won't work on me, Macabre," she hissed. "I'm stronger now."

"Oh? And what about them?" He gestured to the rest of the cats with his snake tail. "Have your warriors gotten any more loyal? Last time I checked, about half of them were working for me."

"Check again!" snapped a longhaired silver tom. "Our warriors are ours again!"

He was answered by yowls of agreement from the StarClan cats around them. Skyeyes saw that Rowanheart and Nightstorm were yowling too. The cave seemed to shake with their voices until all at once they died down. Skyeyes felt a smile on her lips. They were strong. They could win.

If only Macabre could look the least bit impressed. He just gave a smirk and flicked his tail. "For now," he purred. "But our power is greater than you know."

"Don't you dare underestimate us!" hissed a wiry brown she-cat. She walked right up to Macabre and shoved her nose in his face. The cats stiffened around them, but she held firm. "Your own actions have been your downfall! Killing off the Clans' warriors has only brought them to our side! We are three times as many as we were when we last fought! We outnumber and outmatch you! Step down, Macabre! Step down without a fight, and we'll let you crawl back to your rat hole unscathed!"

Macabre smirked. He stepped forward and shoved the she-cat back into the other four cats. The silver tom and a longhaired black she-cat lunged forward and hissed and snapped at him, keeping him at bay. "Bite me," he sneered.

The brown she-cat shoved the two warriors aside. "Gladly!" she screeched as she threw herself at him. She clawed him across the face and sank her teeth into his shoulder. He reared up to throw her, and the two longhaired cats hit him low. The ginger tom and black-and-white she-cat joined the fray with loud cries like cracks of thunder. Macabre fell back and was swallowed up by a writhing mass of cats as the other warriors saw this as their chance to rejoin the fight. Nightstorm hissed loudly and dodged as two cats barreled into them. They were too preoccupied with battling one another that they didn't even notice the only three cats in the clearing with heartbeats. Nightstorm began to sneak along the cave wall, beckoning for them to follow. Rowanheart shoved Skyeyes ahead of him, and they made slow progress trying to get away. They were only fox-lengths from the exit when a familiar white tom crashed into Nightstorm. She spat crossly and began slashing at him.

"Stop, stop!" he cried as he tried to block her blows. "It's me! It's Sleetfur!"

"Sleetfur?" Nightstorm echoed. She lowered her paws. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? I'm fighting." He narrowed his eyes. "You guys can't be here! You have to leave! If Macabre found out—if anyone found out—you'd—"

"We get it," growled Rowanheart. "We were leaving until you so rudely interrupted our escape."

"Escape?" chuckled Sleetfur. "It's not exactly subtle."

"Not anymore!" snapped Nightstorm. "You clutz! They've spotted us!"

Skyeyes gasped and looked over. Sure enough, there were six cats charging towards them with their fangs and claws bared. The first two tackled Sleetfur before he even had the chance to cry out. Skyeyes whipped her head about, and three were on Rowanheart in an instant. He screeched in fury as they pushed him into the dust. They each took one of his limbs and began pulling him in different directions as he screamed and screamed in pain. Nightstorm struggled under a massive ginger she-cat that laughed as she clawed and tore at Nightstorm's throat. Blood began to pour down her neck and bubbled up from her throat. Skyeyes pressed herself harder and harder against the cave wall and hoped they hadn't seen her. She was seconds from running when Rowanheart's bloodied face turned towards her.

"Help us!" he shouted. "Help!"

Skyeyes felt something click in her.

_My turn now,_ someone whispered.

All of a sudden, she had zero control of her limbs. They moved of their own accord and lunged forward. She attacked the cat atop Nightstorm first. She dug her claws into her shoulders and tore her off of the ShadowClan she-cat with a war cry. Skyeyes shuddered when she heard the hollowing sound coming out of her own mouth. The ginger she-cat recovered and went for Skyeyes' throat, but before she even got closer enough to touch her, Skyeyes felt her claws tearing through flesh, and blood erupted into the air. It rained down on her back. Skyeyes turned and gasped as she saw the she-cat lying dead on the cave floor. She stole a glance at her feet. They were soaked in blood.

How had she done that? She'd never learned those moves. She wasn't that strong. This was...impossible.

Before Skyeyes could stop herself—or even wonder how dead cats were able to die again—she was going after the next batch of enemies. The three cats that had a hold of Rowanheart released him when she slashed through the ear of the first. The tom spun around to face her with a mouthful of long, yellowed teeth staring her straight in the face. Skyeyes felt fear streaming through her, but she advanced regardless, dodging his bite and slashing right through his flank. She cut deep, and blood poured out of him as he toppled over onto his side, screaming. She didn't spare an instant. She went for the next cat with her claws outstretched and ready for more action. The cat's eyes grew wide as she advanced, and Skyeyes saw the sheer horror in them as her claws sliced right through the skin on the cat's face. It shrieked in agony and began to stagger back. But Skyeyes wasn't done. She leapt forward and sliced right through the cat's neck. It hit the ground with a thud behind her. Skyeyes tried to resist this strange influence, but it led her astray again. The third cat came down on her with a screech. It bowled her over onto her back, and Skyeyes began kicking furiously against its underbelly. Blood showered her paws as the cat screamed and went limp. Skyeyes kicked its body off of her and got to her feet.

Panting hard, she tossed her head about until she locked eyes with the two cats that pinned Sleetfur to the ground. They were absolutely still in complete horror.

"_Go_," I gruff voice snarled from within her. She didn't sound like herself.

She _wasn't _herself.

"_Go crying back to your master,_" she snarled. "_Unless you'd like to end up like your friends." _

The cats didn't hesitate: they turned tail and fled into the main battle. Their fear scent lingered in their wake. Skyeyes heard her breathing get louder and louder. She was panicking. What on earth had happened to her? Who was she? How had she done those terrible things?

Why did the voice sound so familiar?

Her friends got to their feet slowly. They were all staring at her in disbelief. Skyeyes opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped. Whose voice would come out of her mouth? Her own?

A soft chuckling hit her ears. _I know when I'm not wanted, _a voice she recognized as Elmwhisker whispered from beside her. She felt all the air rush out of her lungs, and though she couldn't raise her head, she saw something gray move out of her line of sight.

A moment passed during which Skyeyes couldn't move a muscle. Then she breathed in deeply, and everything came flooding back to her. She fell back onto her haunches, coughing and sputtering.

"Skyeyes, that was amazing!" exclaimed Sleetfur. "I've never been so afraid of any she-cat in my life!" He smirked and turned to Nightstorm. "Well, except for you."

"I'm so glad to see you too, moorland trash," grumbled Nightstorm. She sounded rough, but there was a smile on her face "Speaking of trash, have you seen Wolfpelt by chance?"

Sleetfur shook his head. "No." He frowned deeply. "Did he die?"

"Just recently, actually," murmured Rowanheart as he got up. He dragged himself over. Skyeyes saw the pain etched into his face. "I think they tore something," he grunted. "I don't know if I can run."

"You have to!" hissed Sleetfur. "Get out of here before they attack again! Hurry!" He ran a bit ahead of them. "Come on! I'll clear the path for you! Hurry!" They weren't far from the exit, so it didn't take them long to get there. They met no opposition along the way. Sleetfur skidded to a halt. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "This is as far as I can go. Thunder and the others only brought us down so that we could fight. I can't go with you."

"No, they should be doing this on their own."

The cats whipped around to see a stunning yellow-haired tom standing before them. He had cloudy, almost white eyes that seemed to smile at them from a handsome face. He had a long, fluffy tail like a squirrel that he curled in amusement. "Hello," he purred. "My name is—"

"Hollowstar," Nightstorm breathed. "You're Hollowstar, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yes. If you say that, that means you must know my story."

"Every cat in ShadowClan does," she replied. "You're a legend."

"No, I'm factual," he chuckled. "I'm come to see you lot off. Don't worry about us—we've got stronger, better warriors this time than we did last. As Wind said, the Dark Forest's mission is also their greatest mistake. In killing off cats from the Clans each year, they have provided us with an army capable of taking them on again for control of the forest." Hollowstar turned to Sleetfur. "You'd better get back there," he said. "I saw that Cloudberry needed some help."

Sleetfur nodded. "Yes, Hollowstar." He turned to the survivors and dipped his head. "Go in peace," he said. "StarClan will always be with you." He lifted his head and smiled. "We promise."

With that, the white tom bounded back into the fight, and Hollowstar turned his murky eyes back on them. "I hate to inform you that he's very right about you three," he said. "You'll have to leave now. It's too dangerous to have you so close to Macabre. It's all the leaders can do just to keep him at bay." He turned back to the fight, but Nightstorm stopped him.

"Wait, sir," she mumbled. "I want to stay here."

"What?" exclaimed Rowanheart. "What are you saying?"

"We need you!" Skyeyes added. "Please!"

Nightstorm smirked. "You don't need me. Look at me."

Skyeyes looked closer and saw what her fur had been hiding all this time. Nightstorm was absolutely covered in blood. She tucked her injured paw up against her chest as she stood under their scrutiny. Skyeyes saw the puddle of blood beneath her. Her body was battered and badly mangled, but her eyes still shone.

"Oh, Nightstorm," she mumbled. "It's worse than I thought."

"I'm cold," the black she-cat admitted. "I-I don't think I've ever been so numb. I don't want to run anymore. I know that I can't. But I can fight. I want to stay here and fight until my dying breath and beyond." She turned to meet Hollowstar's eyes. "Please, allow me to stay."

Hollowstar dipped his head. "I would be honored to have such a skilled warrior beside me," he replied. He flicked his feather-like tail. "Come. We ShadowClan warriors have a lot of work to do. It's time to undo the injustice that I brought upon the forest."

He turned away, and Nightstorm followed him. "No, no Nightstorm, please!" Skyeyes shouted. "No, please!"

"Keep her safe, Rowanheart," she meowed over her shoulder. "I'm trusting you."

Rowanheart brushed against Skyeyes softly. "I will."

"Don't leave us!" Skyeyes shouted after her.

Nightstorm stopped. She gave Skyeyes an exhausted smile. She looked ready to keel over already, and yet she held herself so highly, as if she were a new warrior just itching to fight. "Skyeyes," she whispered. "I'm going to be with my children. Please, don't stop me." The black she-cat dipped her head to them before she picked up the pace. She started out at a jog then shifted quickly into an all out run. By the time she reached the first cat, Nightstorm was blazing like a warrior of LeopardClan with her tail streaming out behind her. She gave a war cry and leapt high into the air. Skyeyes tried to follow her as she landed, but she lost her black pelt in the crowd.

She felt Rowanheart grab her tail and begin to drag her back. "No! I won't leave her!"

"We have to go!" Rowanheart hissed through her fur. "We can't stop her! You know that!"

Skyeyes dug her claws into the ground and watched Nightstorm be engulfed in the battle. The second her friend disappeared, Skyeyes lost hope. Her legs went numb. She had no strength left to struggle. Rowanheart began to drag her back as tears tumbled down her cheeks. The cave bent to the right, and Rowanheart dragged her out of view of the battle. They went on a ways with Rowanheart pushing her along until he stopped. She could still hear the sounds of fighting in the distance.

"Okay," Rowanheart panted. "We're clear." He came around to her front and looked her in the eyes. "Skyeyes?" he mumbled. "Are you still with me?"

When she stared him in the face, she felt heat burning through her. Rowanheart was the only one left. Rowanheart had promised from the beginning he would be with her. He promised from the beginning he would stay with her. Her whole body felt cold, and looking at him made her warm inside. She wanted to be closer to him.

She did just that.

Skyeyes shut her eyes leaned her head against his neck. She felt him purring through her cheek and rubbed gently into him. She leaned her whole body against him until he held her entire weight. All her life, she'd had to be strong for her mother. Dawnpaw had been the whiner. She complained about everything until Skyeyes, trying to be the good daughter, kept her every feeling to herself. That is, until she met Sandstone. At first he was just a good friend on which she could rely. She didn't notice as he slowly inched his way closer and closer to her until she needed him every day. She needed to spend time with him.

Deep down, she knew Rowanheart wasn't Sandstone. He hadn't been there for her every day of her life. He'd never staid awake with her to listen to her grievances or gone out of his way to make her smile. But Rowanheart had protected her. He had sworn to stay by her side through all the perils of the Dark Forest. Skyeyes felt a new emotion stirring in her. It wasn't love. It couldn't be love. She could never love anyone more than she loved Sandstone, but Sandstone wasn't around at the moment, was he?

"Skyeyes?" Rowanheart whispered. His breath tickled her ear. "W-What are you doing?"

With a sigh, Skyeyes stepped away from him. She felt her face flush in embarrassment. "Never mind," she whispered. She turned her back to him with a flick of her ear. She walked a few paces before she realized he wasn't following. "Rowanheart?" she meowed over her shoulder. "What are doing just standing there? We have to go."

Rowanheart stood still for another heartbeat. Then he shook himself into the present and made slow progress towards her. _I will never understand she-cats, _he thought, smirking to himself.

---

"Can anyone see anything yet?"

"No. It's still black as night out here."

A soft purr sounded off to Longstar's right. He turned his head, foolishly forgetting that even if he looked in the direction of the sound, he wouldn't see its maker. "Listen to you whining like that," chuckled Dognose. "You're complaining about not being able to see. It's night. What is there to see out here anyway? Can't you just enjoy the darkness for a bit? It's unlikely that your eyes will catch anything in the tunnel that my ears miss. Just relax."

"That's easy for you to say," grumbled Cinderstar to Longstar's left. "I can't believe this nonsense! I can't even see my nose!"

"And what would you want to see your nose for?" purred Dognose. "Though I've never laid eyes on it, I'm sure it's nothing to sniff at."

The gathered leaders and medicine cats purred at the tom's joke. Hours ago, when the chosen cats entered the cave, a cloud covered the moon, engulfing the forest in complete darkness. They'd been sitting in the dark for hours now, and some of the leaders were starting to get antsy. Longstar smelt fear scent coming from Copperstar. He'd never pegged the red-brown SkyClan leader as a coward, but then again, he didn't know him well. He heard a low growling from Cinderstar, which he understood. He'd only just become a father. He wasted no time in bragging about his mate's litter of three--two toms and a she-cat. In fact, until just a few moments ago, he'd been talking about them non-stop. Longstar understood his desire to get back to his mate, but acting like a grump wasn't going to make the night go any faster. The medicine cats had kept a relative cool during the confusion. He heard Mousepelt trying to silence Cinderstar several times. Dognose, of course, was there as a voice of reason. Darkness wasn't exactly new to him. Leopardclaw hung close to Longstar like a bur. Longstar moved his tail slightly and felt it brush against Leopardclaw's pelt.

"Yes?" Leopardclaw asked.

"Nothing," Longstar mumbled. "I just wanted to be sure you were still there."

Leopardclaw chuckled. "Where am I gonna go in this condition?"

Longstar tried to reply, but a serious of loud coughs raked his body. His breath was stolen from him for several moments before he finally sucked in much needed oxygen. His lungs felt wrung out, and his chest ached. Something sat on his tongue, and when Longstar swallowed, he recognized the taste. _Blood_, he thought. _I'm getting worse. _Unknown to the rest of the Clan and even t0 Leopardclaw, Longstar had been battling an illness that threatened to steal his life right out from under him. The day he began deputy, he collapsed, his lungs having closed up. Rubblefur urged him to retire, but, being a stubborn young tom, Longstar refused. Reluctantly, the patchy tom told him about a possible cure that may keep him alive for a bit longer. It consisted of cat mint, borage, and a few other plants he'd forgotten the names to now. He only knew what they looked and smelled like. Rubblefur told him that day that he had maybe two or three Selections left. His reply was, "That's plenty." Ever since then, Longstar has been making the cure for himself secretly, in the hopes that he can live at least some semblance of the life he always dreamed of. He knew now that his time was running out.

"Are you okay?" Leopardclaw asked. "You didn't catch a cold, did you?"

Longstar faked a laugh. "Me? Never. You know me. I'm healthy as a horse."

_A dying horse_, he thought dryly.

"It feels like this night is stretching on for ages," murmured Featherstar. She was the furthest away, and Longstar strained to hear her. He heard the guilt in her voice. She knew, as they all knew, that Sleetfur would certainly perish within the cave. He didn't have the heart for it. Longstar tried to conjure up images of the other selected cats. He found it difficult to imagine them after blind for so long. He pictured the burly, long-legged SkyClan tom with a thick gray pelt. What was his name? Coyote something? Dog something? No, that wasn't it. There was that ShadowClan she-cat. She was ornery as ever and black as night. _Nightstorm, _he thought, proud of himself for remembering. _And Rowanheart is the last. _He thought of the ginger tom with a frown. He'd heard nothing but good things about Rowanheart. Rumor has it that he'd been in line to become deputy, but he'd refused in order to spend more time with his younger sister. Now what was her name? Troutpaw? Minnowpaw? No, that was another apprentice. Longstar rolled his eyes. He wasn't any more than eight Selections, and yet here he was, losing his mind like an elder.

"Dognose, can you hear anything?"

"Still impatient, Cinderstar?"

"Yes, of course I am! I want this terrible night to be over already! The darkness only makes things worse!"

"Calm down, Cinderstar," purred Lightningstar. "This is all part of the prophecy."

"No it's not," hissed Cinderstar.

"Maybe not the prophecy you've heard," replied Dognose. "But she's right. In ShadowClan, there's another part of the prophecy that describes the moment in which this 'dawn' will break. '_T__hose who sat in darkness saw a great light._ _And upon those that sat in the shadow of death there came a bright Dawn.'_"

Longstar bit his lip. The other leaders still didn't know about the switch. They were believing so readily in something false. He shuffled his feet, though no one could see him in the darkness. He felt Leopardclaw's tail tip graze his shoulder. "Maybe now is the best time to tell them," the medicine cat whispered.

"I've never heard that part of the prophecy," grumbled Cinderstar. "I'll bet you made it up. It sure makes ShadowClan feel better, doesn't it? Since you lot are sitting in darkness all the time?"

Lightningstar let out a low hiss. "Father or not," she spat, "you have no right to judge my Clan. Or to accuse us of heresy!"

"Longstar," Leopardclaw whispered, "the truth? Are you going to tell them?"

He gave a heavy sigh. "Shh," he replied. "Not now."

"I never knew there were different versions of the prophecy," mumbled Cinderstar.

"There's a different one in SkyClan as well," said Nettlewhisker. "_On the reckoning day, a bright Dawn will rise and fade, and the Sky's tears will wash away all remnants of the curse." _

"That's wordy," replied Cinderstar. "It doesn't sound much like ours."

"Oh?" Lightningstar said. "And what does the noble prophecy of RiverClan sound like?"

"_On the fated day, a Dawn will shatter the curse, and a cloudy Sky will flood the land with the love of StarClan. Salvation will pour down from the heavens and flow through the forest like a river._"

"Don't you think it's weird," mumbled Copperstar, "that even though we may have heard the same prophecy in the beginning, we've all ended up with different versions of the same truth?"

"I think we've all been told the versions we want to hear," murmured Mousepelt in a hushed voice. She always sounded like she was whispering. "For example, ShadowClan have heard the version about the darkness, which may make them 'feel better' as you so eloquently put, Cinderstar. And we in RiverClan have been told a version that has a flood, rain, and a river flowing. That's more our...'style'. Since we've all been told different prophecies, we may have different ideas of who the cat is supposed to be. Many of them seem to be highlighting the 'dawn' as the important figure. But what if it's the 'sky' instead?" She purred beautifully. "Or I may just be crazy. I like to make things out of nothing."

Longstar swallowed loudly. "Anytime now, Longstar," Leopardclaw hissed in his ear. "Don't you think they deserve to know?"

"No, you bring up a good point," said Lightningstar. "The way the prophecy was worded, I always thought the cat would come from ShadowClan. You know, because of the part about those sitting in darkness."

"I always thought it would be a cat from RiverClan," said Cinderstar. "Because of the bit with the rain and flood and all that."

"But she was born in ThunderClan," whispered Dognose. "Dawnstorm wasn't what I expected, but not because she wasn't from ShadowClan. I always imagined a strong, skilled warrior, one that seemed to have been chosen by StarClan from birth. While Dawnstorm is...attractive in her personality, she isn't...she isn't the fighter I thought she'd be."

"That's how StarClan works, I guess," said Lightningstar. "There's an old ShadowClan saying: you don't always get what you want. It's almost a motto for us. StarClan don't always humor those fantasies that we keep, nor do they always let us hold onto the things we hold dear. Everything is subject to change. Everything is fleeting. You've got one life, so why not throw it away for something you believe in? That's why we're so eager to die as long as we go down fighting."

"Longstar!" Leopardclaw hissed, and this time, it was loud enough for the other leaders to hear. "For StarClan's sake, tell the truth! I can't stand it anymore!"

Longstar curled into himself. "Longstar?" muttered Featherstar. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Have you been holding out on us?" growled Cinderstar.

"N-No!" cried Longstar. "I just...I...I was afraid. I had to make a choice for my Clan. What I chose was...was different than what StarClan may have intended."

"Well, spit it out then!" said Copperstar.

"Okay!" hissed Longstar. "Here's the truth!" He paused and drew himself up. "Dawnstorm is not--"

"Shh!" Dognose exclaimed suddenly. "I hear something!"

The leaders fell silent as a low humming blew through them. Longstar felt relief welling up in his chest. "What is that?" murmured Lightningstar.

"It's Aspenfur," he replied. "She's here to talk to us."

Longstar gasped as a warm essence wove in between him and Leopardclaw. Aspenfur's spirit flew all around them for several moments, during which the beautiful sound of her humming calmed Longstar until he forgot all about the darkness and all about his shame over his choice. Then, all at once, she vanished.

"What did she say?" whispered Featherstar.

"She had a message," Dognose said. He sighed. "Nightstorm is dead."

* * *

HA! Bet you didn't see that coming! Or maybe you did...since I've been hinting towards it basically the whole story...Well anyway, plz R&R! Your comments will be used to bring Wolfpelt back to life! And I will SERIOUSLY admire the person that can guess what I'm alluding to in the last bit with the leaders. It's a book. It's a book you've probably read, or maybe you haven't, but you've heard of it for sure. The person who does will...uh...get a prize? I dunno, haha. Here's a good one: I'll comment on every chapter of ONE story of the person that guesses! And you have to explain why it applies to this book. If you can't explain it, I'll just leave one comment on one of your stories. Happy guessing!


	12. Swept Away

Well, well. We meet again. So soon?

Haha, now that I'm done being weird, I give you chapter eleven! This one is kinda slow too. I'm building up until the next chapter, which should be the last before an epilogue to wrap things up. It's almost over, guys! You won't have to deal with my strangeness for much longer. This is one of the shorter chapters, and I'm sorry about that. I just didn't want to drag this scene out any more than I already have. Plz enjoy! And please leave a comment, even if you hated it! Speaking of hatred: I changed part of the last chapter. For those of you that have read it, the conversation that Skyeyes and Nightstorm have will make a bit more since. For those of you that didn't...it won't. I'm just hinting at it instead of writing out right.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven **

"Nightstorm?" Skyeyes murmured. A cloud of breath hung about her face. The further they trekked, the colder the cave grew. Skyeyes lamented over her thin pelt. She sat alone, a few tail-lengths from where Rowanheart lay, asleep. She craned her head about to look at him. His flanks were hardly rising and falling. The injuries he received during the battle with the Dark Forest were crippling. He limped along as best as he could, but eventually his feet fell out from under him. He insisted that Skyeyes go on without him, but how could she? He was all she had left. Though Elmwhisker told her to stand on her own, she knew she needed a strong shoulder to lean on. She missed Nightstorm. She missed the way she reminded her of her mother, and she missed the way she kept Skyeyes in high spirits, even in this despicable place. Skyeyes slowed dragged her head back. She stared straight at a lone red flower that jetted from the wall. Seeing it reminded her of Wolfpelt, whom she missed too, despite her best efforts. He died to save her. No one ever sacrificed so much for her before. She thought briefly of asking him for advice. Maybe he'd have something insightful to stay for once. But she wasn't in the mood to decipher his speech. She sighed and flattened her ears. "Nightstorm?" she breathed again. "I want to…I mean, can I…talk to you?"

Instantly, a warm feeling crept up Skyeyes' side. She recognized the sensation she felt as a cat rubbing against her. She tried to search for Nightstorm, but she couldn't see her. Nightstorm let out a rumbling purr.

"I'm here," she whispered. Skyeyes watched in awe as small, glowing flecks of light fluttered in front of her until they took shape, forming the familiar curves and lines of the black she-cat. Those bright yellow eyes opened in the darkness. Nightstorm smiled. "It's 'I need to speak with you', actually," the she-cat purred.

"What is?"

"The summon. When you need to talk to someone, take me for example, you say, 'Nightstorm, I need to speak with you'." Her whiskers twitched. "Did Hawkwing tell you anything?"

Skyeyes shook her head. "No. He didn't have much time."

"It's okay. We're all a bit iffy about this. We've never given a cat this kind of power before." Nightstorm purred and shut her eyes. Her smile grew wider. "It's so strange," she purred. "All my life, I've heard and said, 'StarClan will' and 'StarClan have'. But now it's 'we'…" She trailed off with a flick of her tail. "I'm part of a much bigger Clan than I ever imagined."

"I'm happy for you," Skyeyes replied. "Did you find your children?"

"Oh yes. They're fine. But never mind that, sweetheart. You called me for something, didn't you? Something must be on your mind?"

Skyeyes nodded slowly. She turned her eyes to Rowanheart with a frown. "I don't want him to die," she murmured. "Can't I take him with me? Can't I take him back to his sister? He's got a life outside these walls, and he doesn't deserve to die like this."

Nightstorm's smile faded. "I'm sorry, Skyeyes, but he can't go with you," she replied. "He doesn't have enough strength. I think the best thing for you would be to leave him here. Let him go peacefully in his sleep. We'll welcome him with open arms like the hero that he is."

"But I can't do it on my own!" Skyeyes shouted. "I can't! Elmwhisker said I needed to be strong, but I can't do it! I'm scared, Nightstorm! I'm so scared, and he makes me feel braver. He makes me feel like I have someone I can rely on." She let out a low growl. "And who is Elmwhisker to tell me those kinds of things?" she growled. "I've never heard of him! He died before I was born!"

Nightstorm's long tail rested on her shoulders. "Skyeyes," she whispered. "He's your father."

"H-H-He's m-my…wh-what?" she stammered.

"Your father," Nightstorm repeated. "He died when you were young a kit. He regretted not having the chance to be there when you and your sister grew up. He watched over the two of you from StarClan. When you were chosen, the five leaders came together and decided that you needed a guide to help push you onwards when times were tough. He volunteered gladly, and of course they agreed. Why would they keep a tom from his daughter? He's with you, even now. He decided to follow you instead of fighting. Can't you be even the least bit grateful to him?"

"He's my father," Skyeyes whispered to herself. Bluestorm never told them much about their father. She hinted a few times that he had been a powerful warrior, and that he had served as Clan deputy at one point in his life. She never gave him a name. "Why didn't he just tell me that?"

"He tried," Nightstorm replied. "You were unresponsive."

"Then he's with me…even now?"

"Yes," she murmured. "So you don't need Rowanheart. You have your father. In fact, we're all with you. All of StarClan is supporting you."

"Did you win the battle?"

"It's not over yet."

Skyeyes hung her head. "I'm so tired, Nightstorm," she whispered. "I couldn't sleep. I kept pacing. I kept thinking about Rowanheart dying, and about what…" She trailed off. Nightstorm leaned forward and rubbed against her cheek to encourage her to speak. "I keep thinking about what happened, about what we did, and it makes me even more scared. If I make it, what will Sandstone say about me? What will they think of me?"

"If you don't say anything, no one will know," replied Nightstorm.

"Do StarClan think badly of me now?"

"No. We understand."

The blue-gray she-cat bit back tears. "I miss you, Nightstorm," she murmured. "Why aren't you here anymore?"

"I realized a greater purpose," Nightstorm replied. "I don't regret it."

"What am I supposed to do now, Nightstorm?" Skyeyes asked. "I'm not myself anymore. I'm not the Skyeyes that entered the cave so…so long ago. I…" She stopped. Nightstorm wasn't looking at her. She was staring over her shoulder, and the fur on her haunches rose fearfully. "What is it?" Skyeyes meowed. "What are you looking at?"

Nightstorm's reply was cut off by a wail that sounded from behind them. Skyeyes spun around and screamed at what she saw. There were three Dark Forest cats standing over Rowanheart's body. Blood dripped down from their bared fangs as prepared themselves to attack. Rowanheart's eyes were wide, and his jaw twitched. Blood pooled around his head from scores of wounds all over his body.

"Get away from him!" Skyeyes howled. "Leave him alone!"

She charged at them, shrieking. Her tail lashed out behind her as she slashed at the two of them. She knocked one of them upside the head and heard the cracking of bone as it tumbling to the ground. Another tried to bite down on her tail, but she lunged for its throat. She sank her fangs in deep and tossed him over her back. Screeching, she latched onto the shoulders of the last cat. He twisted and rolled to try and dislodge her, but she held firm. He batted against her, his claws tearing through her fur, but Skyeyes felt no pain—only overwhelming fury. Finally, he gave one last twitch and lay still. Skyeyes backed off of his body. She stared down at the broken cat that lay before her and began to hyperventilate. That was all her. Elmwhisker wasn't there. She watched as the cat's body began to slowly disappear until there was nothing left of him but a few splotches of blood. She turned to try and find Nightstorm, but she'd vanished.

"Skyeyes…" Rowanheart moaned. "Where are you…?"

"I'm here, I'm here," she panted. She rushed to his side and buried her face in the fur on his neck. "It's okay," she whispered. "They're gone."

"It burns…" he murmured. "My body is on fire!"

Skyeyes turned her attention to the wounds. They were bleeding profusely. She placed her paws on the worst of them, a deep gash on his side, and tried to press down to stop the bleeding. For a moment, she thought it'd worked. Then blood began to bubble up from between her toes. She screamed and leapt back. It poured out of him like a river. Rowanheart cried out and thrashed in the dust.

"It's burning!" he screamed. "It hurts!"

"Don't die, please don't die!" she shouted. She ran to his side. "Please don't die!" The wound seemed to grow deeper and deeper by the second. "No, no, I won't let you take him!" She tried to lick the wound to get it to heal, but blood filled her mouth in an instant, and she staggered back. She wretched violently.

"I'm on fire, I'm on fire!" Rowanheart cried. Skyeyes lunged to try and comfort him, but he suddenly went rigid. Skyeyes froze as he lay still for a moment. Then he coughed, and his head slumped to the ground.

Skyeyes padded forward tentatively. "Rowanheart?" she whispered. "Are…are you…"

His eyes opened. "I'm here," he replied. "I'm—" He coughed loudly. "It still hurts, but it's not so bad anymore. I can't feel my paws."

Skyeyes panicked. "No, I won't let you die!" she exclaimed. She lay down beside him and began to lick his paws. "Can you feel them now?"

"No," he whispered. "No…But don't move…you're so warm…"

Skyeyes felt tears pressing at her eyes. The first of them fell and landed on her paw. She winced as she felt a stabbing pain. She looked down and saw the scratch that Longstar had given her before she entered the cave. It burned in protest to the salty tears, but she kept crying anyway.

"Is…is that you?" Rowanheart whispered. "Are you still here?"

"Yes," she replied. "Can't you feel me?"

"No…I'm so numb…"

Skyeyes turned her head and began licking his dirty fur. She cried into his wounds and rubbed against him again and again. Each time she did, Rowanheart gave no response. He really couldn't feel her. She was losing him slowly. They lay there for the longest time. Skyeyes thought that any second that he'd slip away, but he stayed with her, as he promised. As they lay, Skyeyes told him stories about her apprenticeship. He let out shaky purrs at the funnier moments, and he fell silent when she talked about living in her sister's shadow. All the while Skyeyes spoke, she heard a dripping sound echoing throughout the cave. She stopped in the middle of her story about 'kidnapping—or so Tawnyfur had called it—Plumkit to play in the woods. She perked her ears and tried to locate the source.

"W-What is it?" Rowanheart mumbled.

"I don't know," she replied. "I think I hear running water."

"This is a cave," he chuckled weakly. "There's p-probably water everywhere."

She nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Where was I?"

"You two had just sn-snuck o-out of the n-nursery," he whispered.

"Right. I—" She frowned. "Can't you hear it? The sound is getting louder."

Rowanheart struggled to lift his head off the ground. He turned his ears about before slumping again. "I don't hear anything," Rowanheart said. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," she growled. Skyeyes stood on shaky legs. She stumbled a few paces and sniffed the air. "I can even smell water!" she said. "I know it's here somewhere!"

"Are you th-thirsty?"

"No, I just think that it's strange. Don't you—"

Skyeyes felt something cool against her paws. She looked down to see that a shallow bit of water was beginning to collect around her feet. The seconds tick by, and the water grew deeper.

"Skyeyes," she heard Rowanheart groan. "I hear the water now."

_Yeah, no kidding, _Skyeyes thought gruffly. She waded to him and took Rowanheart by the scruff. "I'm going to try and find some high ground," she told him. The poor tom grunted in pain. The rocks were snagging on his pelt. Skyeyes heaved him up onto a slight incline and slumped in exhaustion when they were in the clear. The tip of Rowanheart's tail dangled into the swiftly growing puddle beneath them. "The water is rising," Skyeyes murmured. "Where is it coming from?"

"Can you s-s-swim?" stammered Rowanheart.

"No…"

"It's o-okay. I-I-If it comes to that, I'll sw-swim for us. I sw-swear."

The water continued to rise until it reached Skyeyes' paws again. She balked and dragged Rowanheart further back. The water kept chasing after them. It rose and rose until the path they'd taken to get here was completely covered in it. Skyeyes felt her stomach churning. She hated water. She never learned to swim. Rowanheart's promise, no matter how heart-felt it was, had no backing. He couldn't move his legs. How could he paddle through this? The water grew angrier. It crashed against the rocks and sprayed water into Skyeyes' face. She shrank back to try and shield Rowanheart. He laughed.

"It feels so good," he whispered. "I-I-I miss the river."

"We'll have a river on our hands in a few moments," grumbled Skyeyes. "We've got to keep moving higher! Do you think you can stand?"

Rowanheart shook his head. "No. Hey, look…" He reached out with a paw and tapped the water playfully like a kit. "It's g-getting cl-closer." He leaned over and lapped up a few mouthfuls of it. Skyeyes hissed and pulled him away from the water's edge.

"It could be poisoned!" she scolded.

The RiverClan warrior purred. "Water can't be poisoned, Skyeyes. That's silly." His eyes rolled into his head for a pause. Skyeyes shook him violently until he snapped to. "What? I'm t-t-tired."

"Come on," Skyeyes whispered. "We have to move! We have to get out of here!" _You're scaring me, _she thought. _Please don't lose your mind. Stay with me. _

"You…" he chuckled faintly. "Th-ThunderClan cats are…s-s-such k-kits."

Skyeyes went to grab him, but something in the corner of her eye stopped her. A massive wave of water barreled towards them, obliterating stalactites as it went. It roared in her ears, and Skyeyes flattened herself against the rock. As a kit, she'd nearly drowned once during a fierce thunderstorm. She'd refused to even go near it ever again. Terror seized her limbs. It loomed closer and closer. Skyeyes shut her eyes, and in the last few seconds before the wave over took them, she felt Rowanheart throw himself on top of her and wrap his legs around her body. The wave smashed them up against the rock as it poured over them. Skyeyes felt the impact, but it didn't hurt her. Rowanheart absorbed the damage. They hung to the rock for a pause before the wave swept them onwards, and they tossed and turned through the rapids. Once or twice their heads broke the surface. It was enough for Skyeyes to breathe in air, but she was dragged right back under soon after. She felt Rowanheart's grip begin to loosen on her. Skyeyes sank her teeth into his paw and held on for dear life. They were pulled along through the darkness until Skyeyes felt all the strength leave her body. She couldn't fight it anymore.

The next time they slammed into a rock, Skyeyes shut her eyes and prayed for death.

Oh sweet peace.

---

She dreamed of the forest. Of course, she didn't know it was a dream at first. She found herself running through the trees with a warm breeze dancing though her pelt. Her paws soared over a be of pine needles and flew over the roots of massive trees that protected her from the blazing sun. The songs of birds drifted through the trees. Skyeyes smiled as she ran. ThunderClan territory was by far the best in the forest in her humble opinion. She laughed as she leapt from rock to rock and rolled about in patches of grass like a kit.

She was home.

All too soon, the reverie shattered. The wind picked up. At first, she didn't acknowledge it. It blew against her face, and her whiskers batted against her cheeks. She changed direction and ran with it at her back. It picked up again, and when she jumped, she imagined she was flying. The last time she jumped, the wind picked her up. It tossed her carelessly into the ground where she landed with a thud. It blew harder and harder and drowned out all other noises in the forest.

_What's going on? _she thought.

"Skyeyes?"

The blue-gray she-cat blinked awake. They were in a different part of the cave entirely, and a patch of those red flowers were hanging over head. They rocked as they watched her curiously. Skyeyes simply stared. _Go on, _she dared them. _Come a bit closer. Kill me. _The flowers inched closer. _That's it, _she told them. _A bit closer. _They stopped just a mouse-length from her face. Skyeyes awaited the tiny, insignificant moment of pain, but none came. They let out low hisses and retracted, the petals closing as they slid back into the darkness. Skyeyes shut her eyes again. _I guess I'm not tasty enough..._she thought drowsily. Content to lie there, Skyeyes made no attempt to get up. She understood what Rowanheart felt. It was almost like her limbs were simply gone, unimportant. She was just a washed up body of an exhausted cat. Skyeyes sighed heavily. _Death, take me, _she prayed. _Please. _

"Oh ho, not yet you're not."

Someone prodded her harshly in the side. Skyeyes groaned. She'd felt _that. _"Get up, lazy," Elmwhisker chuckled. "Come on."

Confused, Skyeyes peered out with one eye. She saw nothing. _Now _I'm _going crazy. _

"You're not going crazy," her father's voice laughed. "I'm here."

Skyeyes lifted her head slowly. The cave spun before her eyes. Her head felt heavy, and she wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted what appeared to be a pale gray tabby. She let out another groan and lay her head on the cave floor. "Go away," she growled. "I'm done. Why don't StarClan pick another cat, huh? I just want to rest."

"What's that good old saying the ShadowClan cats always used?" Elmwhisker mused. "Oh right. We don't always get what we want."

With a sigh, Skyeyes pulled herself to a sitting position. Her father moved around her, and she took him in. Truly he was her kin. They even smiled the same way--though there wasn't a smile on her face to use for an accurate comparison. He motioned with a long, black-tipped tail to something behind her. "You're so close," he said. "It's only a bit further."

"I've been hearing that since I entered," Skyeyes grumbled. She turned and low and behold, there was a spot of light in the distance. She gasped. "You're right!" she exclaimed. "The exit!"

"Would I lie to you?" Elmwhisker chuckled. "Come on." He strutted past her and nodded towards the light. "I'll be your escort. Lest those pesky Dark Forest cats try anything." Skyeyes got to her feet carefully. She wobbled for the first few steps. She tried to reach her father, but each time she got close to him, he moved another few paces ahead.

She frowned. "Stop doing that."

"Sorry," he chuckled. "It's a habit. That's how I got Leopardclaw off his lazy behind during his apprenticeship."

"Leopardclaw?" she echoed. "You taught Leopardclaw?"

"I passed along everything I knew. It's a shame. He's sitting on a literal gold mine of battle tactics, and yet he choses to spend his time watching herbs rot. Isn't that awful?"

Skyeyes purred. "He's such a good medicine cat."

"You're right," Elmwhisker said. "He is. I'd like to take a bit of that credit. I practically raised him, you know. Never mind the fact that Rubblefur taught him all those trivial herb facts. I'm the one that really made him who he is today."

She laughed. "Right, you--" Then it dawned on her. "Rowanheart!" Skyeyes scrambled down the small incline she climbed. She frantically sniffed about to try and find some trace of his scent. "Rowanheart! Rowanheart!"

"Over here," Elmwhisker whispered. Skyeyes looked over to see him standing over a crumpled ginger body

"Oh Great StarClan..." Skyeyes muttered. "No!" She limped over to them and put her paws on Rowanheart's shoulder. He was cold as ice. "Rowanheart?" she whispered. "Rowanheart, please wake up." Nothing. "Please, don't be dead." She shook him gently. "Get up! Don't die on me!"

"He's not dead," Elmwhisker meowed. "He's clinging to life. He's...clinging for you."

Skyeyes glanced at her father and then down at the ginger warrior. "I'm here," she whispered into his ear. "It's me, Skyeyes. I'm here."

Rowanheart didn't move. Realization crept over her. She was the only one left.

* * *

Please R&R! And I'll give you one more chance to guess the allusion that I made in the last chapter. Come on, people, think! It's probably the most well known book in the world. I can't say anything more than that without giving it away.


	13. Into the Light

Okay, I don't have much to say here other than please enjoy. There's going to be one more chapter, and I'm still considering whether or not to write a sequel. I've got a few ideas, but I'm actually really tired of Skyeyes. I don't like her very much. What do you guys think? And the book I was alluding to was the Bible! Yeah. The Bible. I literally quoted it, haha. I'm surprised only two people got it! Please R&R

* * *

**Chapter Twelve **

_From the beginning_, Skyeyes never truly believed the others would die. Maybe naivety kept her from considering it. She wasn't a 'warrior ruined by years of experience', as Tigerheart called them. The only death she saw first hand was unintended. A warrior named Icepelt, who was Whiteblossom's brother, died in front of her during her first month as an apprentice. A monster hit him while he chased off a few ShadowClan warriors they met on a patrol. She remembered how small he looked when the life had been squeezed out of him. He lay in a pool of blood with his pure white fur stained by it. Watching him be crushed under the monster's foot didn't bother Skyeyes as much as she thought it would. What really hit home was the horrible, gut-wrenching sound that Whiteblossom made when she saw his mangled body.

That's the very sound she was making now.

"Skyeyes, stop that," Elmwhisker hissed, but Skyeyes only threw her head back and cried louder, her body quivering with the force of it. He promised from the beginning that he'd be there with her. He swore. This body lying at her feet didn't even look like him. He looked like drowned rat. There was no glory in his death or a smile on his face as there had been on Icepelt's. He was just…broken. "Stop crying like that!" Elmwhisker snapped. "Stop acting like a child! You're a warrior now! Stand up!"

Some father he was. Elmwhisker offered no support or comfort. He only bristled and let out a low growl. Skyeyes soon lost the energy to scream. She let the cry die down and lowered her head to Rowanheart's neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered into his fur. "You died for me. I'm so sorry!"

"We have to move!" Elmwhisker growled. "Get up! They're gaining on us!"

Skyeyes sniffed. "Who is?" she murmured.

"The Dark Forest! Some of their warriors broke off from the fight. The StarClan cats in the battle were too preoccupied to chase them. They warned me that they may try to interfere with—" The gray warrior went rigid. His amber eyes locked on something behind her. "If you have any value on your wretched life," he snarled, "you will stay far, far away from my daughter!"

Skyeyes gasped as she recognized the soft laughter. She spun about to see Mist, sitting with her tail wrapped around her paws on a rock a few fox-lengths away. The disturbing white she-cat purred and cocked her head. "I'm over here, and you're over there," she purred. "I don't see why we can't _share _the cave."

"You know damned well why we can't!" Elmwhisker snapped. He threw himself in front of Skyeyes. "Run along—back to that coward you call a master! Be gone!"

Mist gracefully leapt down from the rock, and every hair on Elmwhisker's body stood straight up. "Not to be rude," Mist chuckled. "But…" Her eyes suddenly went sharp. All playfulness drained from her. "If you want to get that piece of foxdung out here," a much deeper voice threatened from within the small body. "You'll have to go through me."

Elmwhisker extended his claws. "With pleasure."

"Skyeyes…?"

Skyeyes gasped and whipped her head around to see Rowanheart, his eyes open and his head lifted off the ground. She gave a cry of triumph and threw herself onto him, sobbing hysterically. "You're alive, you're alive!" she whimpered. "Rowanheart!"

The RiverClan tom grunted in pain. "Everything hurts," he mumbled. Wh-What happened?"

"You don't remember the water?" Skyeyes whispered. "The wave washed us further down the cave." Her eyes softened. "You protected me. You risked your life to save me."

Rowanheart faked a smirk. "I promised, didn't I?"

Skyeyes licked his bloody cheek. "Yes, you did."

"This is all very heartwarming!" shouted Elmwhisker. "But if you haven't noticed, we've got a bit of company!"

Sure enough, a group of Dark Forest warriors were massing behind Mist. Her clear blue eyes gleamed with excitement. The warriors oozed out from every nook and cranny. Their eyes were burning red, and their pelts were black as night. Elmwhisker retreated slowly until his back legs were against Skyeyes.

"You'll have to make a run for it," he told her. "And be quick about it."

"Okay," Skyeyes panted. She was beginning to shake in terror. She glanced down at Rowanheart. "Can you make it?"

The ginger tom coughed. "Leave me," he huffed. "Please…just go…If you survive, you'll make it possible for Koipaw and my mother to live normal lives. That's all I really want."

"Fox-dung!" Skyeyes hissed. "You can't just give up! Come on! Stand!"

"I can't!" he fired back. "Go already—go!"

"I won't leave you," she muttered. She leaned down and grabbed him by the scruff. She knew instantly it would be impossible to drag him all the way up the incline, but if she could carry him, they might have a chance. Ignoring his grunts of pain and yowls of protest, she heaved him onto her back. Her legs buckled with his weight at first, but Skyeyes screeched and straightened herself. She took a few steps forward and marveled at how easy it was. She really did have the strength.

"Get out of here!" Elmwhisker commanded. The Dark Forest cats were closing in. "I won't be able to hold them for very long! It's just me against all of them!"

Skyeyes was about to respond when a battle cry echoed through the cave. Three balls of light were careening towards them. Skyeyes leapt away to avoid being hit by one of them. She stood and in awe as they took shape into three different cats. They turned to her, and Skyeyes smiled.

"Wolfpelt, Sleetfur, Nightstorm!" she shouted.

Wolfpelt dipped his head to her. "Get goin'!" he called back. "There's no time for recollection!"

With a nod, she turned and sprinted as fast as she could up the slope. The rocks were sharp, and they sliced her pads as she ran, but Skyeyes thought only of emerging into the light after a long, long period spent in darkness. She ran faster and faster. She imagined herself to be in her dream, with the wind at her back, carrying her. She was faintly aware of a light chuckling that sounded from all around her. Mist's voice began to sing:

"_Into darkness they_

_Fall, fall, fall_

_Their fates they try to_

_Stall, stall, stall_

_They will run, they will fight_

_But all, all, all_

_Will be dead tonight_!"

"Not me!" Skyeyes shrieked. She picked up the pace. She could see the top now, and the cave floor was illuminated at last. There were skeletons all around her, but she ignored them and squeezed her eyes shut. She was going to make it! She—

Something hard crashed into the side of her. Both she and Rowanheart were thrown into the cave wall. Skyeyes screamed as claws tore through the side of her face. A white blur began slicing away at her stomach, and Skyeyes thrashed wildly as an agonizing pain coursed through her. She kicked furiously to try and shake Mist.

"I won't let you escape!" she yowled. "I won't!"

Skyeyes wailed loudly. Mist's claws cut right down her belly, and blood seeped out of her. She'd never seen so much of it in her life. Her body began to convulse, and Skyeyes saw spots. In a desperate attempt to free herself, she continued to score Mist's pelt with her claws. None of her blows were forceful enough to shake her. She was about to give up when Mist was yanked away. Skyeyes rolled over and watched from a canted angle as Rowanheart reared up on his hind legs, roaring like warrior of LionClan, and brought his paws down on her head. Mist tried to doge, but his claws sliced through the corner of her head, and blood flew into the air. She gave a high-pitched caterwaul and launched herself at Rowanheart. Skyeyes scrambled to her feet. She stood briefly, but the crippling pain dragged her right back onto the ground. She crawled forward slowly and watched the battle between the two cats in front of her. Mist had Rowanheart pinned now, but he had a grip on her throat. All at once, he twisted his head. There was a loud snap, and Mist went limp. He kicked her body off of him and slumped.

"Rowanheart…" Skyeyes mumbled as she dragged herself over to him. Her belly was on fire, but she bit back tears to try and reach him. "Rowanheart…"

His eyes were blank. He stared up at the ceiling with a slight smile on his face. "Flintpaw…" he whispered. "Flintpaw…I can see you now…"

Skyeyes looked up but didn't see anything. She couldn't help it anymore: tears began to pour down her cheeks. "No…" she whispered. She pressed her face against his shoulder. She couldn't stop him from leaving. She knew that. "I'm going to miss you."

"I-I'm coming…" he stammered. Blood tricked out of the corner of his mouth. He gave a faint smile. "I'm coming…" Skyeyes watched his eyes shut slowly. He was gone.

"Good-bye," she murmured. "I…love you."

Skyeyes forced herself to get up. The light shone her face, and it warmed her shivering body. Her blood splashed onto the ground while she took tentative steps towards the entrance. The world swam before her eyes. She swayed back and forth on her feet and nearly lost her balance more than once. She teetered on the edge before she forced herself through. Light flooded her vision and drowned out all other thoughts.

---

A bright light burst forth from the cave. It eclipsed the dim light of the incoming dawn, and Longstar felt heat wash over him, as though he were standing in a ray of sunlight. He saw nothing but white for several moments. It overwhelmed all his senses. He smelled the scents of hundreds of cats long past, including the husky scent of his father, who died shortly before he became deputy. He felt them running through and all around him. They were laughing, purring, and whispers to him all at once. A strong wind ruffled his fur. _This is the love of StarClan that the RiverClan prophecy described, _Longstar thought. He watched the flow of light flow through them and down the river. It poured through the heather in the moorlands, and Longstar lost sight of it when forked off into the various sections of the forest. He smiled.

All the joy flooded out of him at the sound of Featherstar's cry. He whipped about to see that there were shadows bursting from the cave. The cats of the Dark Forest were not happy about being driven from their long-time home. They raised their voices in a single, piercing cry that shook Longstar down to his bones. He dug his claws in and took hold as they flew overhead, twisting and shrieking in the early morning light. Longstar's eyes widened as they evaporated like mist, becoming thinner and thinner until they gave their dying breath and vanished. A few, he noticed, made it as far as the darkness of the forest. He narrowed his eyes and wondered whether they would have the strength to survive there. Something slammed into the back of him, and Longstar grunted as his head hit the ground. Through the blades of grass, he watched a large dark shape spiraling into the sky. As the sunlight poisoned it, the figure howled in agony. The rays shot through him. It withered down to a small speck of blackness, which fell slowly, painfully slowly, down to earth like a snowflake.

"It's her!"

Longstar leapt to his feet. He turned and gave a cry of joy when he caught sight of a blue-gray shape moving into the light. "Skyeyes!" he shouted.

The other leaders turned to him with frowns. "What are you talking about?" asked Copperstar. "That's—"

Dognose leapt aside with a shriek as Skyeyes threw herself out of the cave. The blue-gray she-cat stayed on her feet for a pause before she collapsed onto the ground, eyes rolling into the back of her head. Blood splashed out from under her.

"Skyeyes!" Leopardclaw shouted. He pelted towards the fallen she-cat and crouched down beside her. He sniffed her briefly before he looked up at Dognose. "She's going to need moss or something to soak up the blood," he hissed worriedly. "A-A-And get Emberfur over here. He knows how to put intestines back in, right? Rubblefur never got a chance to teach me."

At that, the leaders and medicine cats charged in, lashing their tails frantically. The medicine cats shoved their leaders out and surrounded her body. Every few moments, they heard loud meows and saw either Mousepelt or Dognose run off to gather more supplies. Longstar started to pace. She couldn't die like this! She couldn't! He'd never forgive himself! He could never live with himself!

"Longstar."

He jumped when he heard Lightningstar's voice. He composed himself and met her eyes.

"Longstar," she said again, "is there something you'd…like to tell us?"

He peered over to her shoulder and saw that the other leaders were listening in as well. He let out a sigh. "Yes," Longstar mumbled. "I do. That's not Dawnstorm. That's her twin sister, Skyeyes. Dawnstorm committed suicide the morning after the Selection. We…we put it to a vote. The Clan decided that sending Skyeyes in her place would save more lives than it would take. I know now that forcing an innocent cat into doing something like that…into bending to my cowardly whims is…appalling."

"Then…the curse isn't over?" murmured Copperstar.

"No! The curse is very much over!"

The leaders turned towards the cave where four glowing figures were standing in front of the medicine cats. The medicine cats seemed unaware or disinterested in their presence. One of the four shimmering cats stepped forward and dipped its head. In a split second, color flushed into the cat's face, Lightningstar gasped.

"Nightstorm!" she exclaimed.

The other three turned as well, and Longstar recognized them as the chosen four that ventured into the cave with Skyeyes all those hours ago. He averted his gaze from looking at them. He wasn't worthy of looking StarClan in the face.

"The curse is over," the black she-cat repeated. "Skyeyes did what no other cat has done before: she survived."

"Of course, we helped 'er just a bit," chuckled the gray tom from SkyClan.

"Only when she needed it," added the white tom from WindClan.

"The truth is, StarClan always knew this would happened," purred the ginger tom from RiverClan. "The Dark Forest thought they could trick us."

"One of their warriors heard of our prophecy," said Nightstorm. "They then came up with a plan to destroy it."

"They overshadowed Dawnpaw as she walked back to camp," said the WindClan tom. "They forced her to eat the deathberries. They thought that killing Dawnpaw would assure that they'd keep a hold on this sacred land for the rest of their lives. But they were wrong. Before Dawnpaw was even born, we gave Bluestorm a second daughter, one that looked just like her."

"We knew the Dark Forest would try and foil our plans," said the SkyClan tom. "So we just outfoxed 'em. They ended up killing the wrong cat."

"We worded the prophecy to make it seem like Dawnpaw was the chosen cat," explained Nightstorm, "when it was actually Skyeyes all along."

"Thus, with her escape, the cruse is broken," purred the WindClan tom. "It's over."

"The dawn has come," the purred in unison.

Longstar took a trembling step forward. "Then…this…this was all the will of StarClan?"

"Every bit."

"Even right down to the—"

"Vote you held."

"We've been watchin' you, Longstar."

"And we're pleased with the way that you handled things."

"Truly Foxstar made an excellent decision in choosing you as deputy."

Longstar smiled faintly at their praise. He sank to his haunches. "Then…will she die?"

"No."

"There's enough fight in 'er for a while."

"The Clans will need her in the days to come."

"What does that mean?" asked Copperstar as he walked forward. "Do you mean that, though the curse is over, the Dark Forest are still here, around us? Will they try and hurt us?"

The four StarClan cats smiled at him. "Your kits are safe," they purred. "They are bathed in light and will be raised in light. It is those who remain in darkness that must cover their heads and fear. The Dark Forest have fled only this place."

"But will they attack us?" asked Featherstar.

"Only if you leave them room," said the WindClan tom. "After all—"

"Darkness—"

"Exists—"

"Only where there ain't no light."

"Keep the light around you," they purred together. Their forms began to blend together until they formed a great light bright enough to block out the sun. "Keep it in your hearts. StarClan are always watching, always listening, and we always will be." They rose higher until they shot off like a comet, blazing across the early morning sky. They flew over the forest and danced and twisted through the clouds before they burned out and disappeared.

"She's breathing again!" shouted Leopardclaw. The leaders exchanged glances and rushed over. This time, their medicine cats backed off just enough for them to get a fleeting glimpse of her. There were cobwebs all along her neck and back, and a huge mass of moss stuck to her side. The pool of blood around her began to dry. As Leopardclaw said, her flanks were slowly rising and falling in a labored breath.

"She'll need to stay with us for at least the night, if not longer," said Emberfur. "It's too dangerous to carry her back to ThunderClan territory in this condition."

Longstar smirked. "I know one cat in particular that's not gonna be happy about that."

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Please R&R! It makes me happy!


	14. Final Words

So here it is guys! The last chapter. I hope--no pun intended--that everyone enjoyed this story! And I encourage you all to read the sequel! Yes there is a sequel...I wasn't going to write one, but when I put all the chapters to this story together and saw that I'd written over eighty pages in two months, I figured that posting here gave me drive to write. That's something that I usually don't have since I mostly write for myself. So thanks to everyone that's read/reviewed! The allegiances and prologue for Fracture will be up shortly. Please R&R!

* * *

**Epilogue**

The late afternoon sun shed its glow upon a swaying field of heather. A light dappling of silver adorned the soft purple flowers from a morning drizzle. Alone atop a hill softened by the beautiful flowers sat a scarred blue-gray she-cat. She watched the sea of beauty rock back and forth in a cool breeze that swept over the land. The wind ruffled her thin fur, but the she-cat didn't shiver. Her blue eyes were locked on something in the distance. She had all but vacated the dried out husk of a body her soul clung to. Her facials scars were signs of shame, as were the others, the ones that nearly stole the life out of her. They were horrific to anyone who first laid eyes upon them: the three scratches on her right cheek, the thin scar across her throat, the jagged line down her spine, and the worst of them all, the pale, sickly scars on her underbelly. Those, she'd been told, would never heal. She didn't mind any of them. After all, she rarely spent her days staring into puddles, grimacing at her reflection. Those around her hardly minded. They were not her Clan, so she felt awkward and isolated amongst them for several days. On the third day of her stay in the moorlands, a brown tabby she-cat named Cloverstripe offered to clean her pelt. She obliged. Every part of her body, including her tongue, ached. She wanted desperately to cleanse herself of any remnants of the Cave and its inhabitants, but she didn't have the strength. The she-cat's offering made her feel more at home here.

After Cloverstripe broke the ice, the other cats flocked to her, overwhelmed by their curiosity. They'd never been so close to a ThunderClan cat for so long. They asked her a hundred questions. What did robin taste like? Did she climb trees everyday? Was it hard? Was the forest loud? Did she like it there? All these she answered as honestly as she could. They were innocent at first until the warriors began to delve deeper. What was the Cave really like? What things had she seen? How did she survive?

How did Sleetfur die?

This she only revealed once and only to three cats: a queen named Whitecloud and her two kits Flurrykit and Snowkit. They were Sleetfur's family. They, if anyone, deserved to know. She didn't tell the tale lightly, nor did she enjoy treading in the mental mine field where it lay. They were no better after hearing it. This, she warned them of. But they were adamant. Whitecloud cried for ages. Flurrykit sobbed and buried her face into her mother's fur. Snowkit, on the other hand, took it all in stride, as if he were a warrior already and death was an everyday thing. She knew that to handle that kind of news at four moons old took a lot of maturity. Snowkit was different from the others.

They were nice. They were kind. They were good cats.

But they weren't her family.

She missed her mother. She missed the way she used to groom her as a kit and pull her close to her side. She missed her mate and the way he made her smile just by being around her. She missed her sister. When she searched for a reason, she found none. She just missed Dawnpaw for the sake of missing her.

All these thoughts and more kept Skyeyes from the present—that awful place where the future she planned for herself came to die and where the past remained ever prevalent. She dreaded each evening. She dreaded each dawn. She missed possibility and wished it would come back.

"Skyeyes!"

The blue-gray she-cat shook herself awake and turned to see a smoky gray tom plowing through the peace of the afternoon with a wide smile on his face. He tumbled through the tall grass and hauled himself up the hill to meet her. Panting, he flashed her a toothy grin.

"Emberfur was looking for you," he huffed. His blue eyes grew solemn. "He says you're leaving soon."

"I am, Smokepaw," she chuckled. She gave the tom a boost up onto his feet and licked him between the ears. He'd just been named an apprentice the night before, and was one of many kits that sought Skyeyes out when they were in need of entertainment. Skyeyes purred and rubbed her cheek against his. "It's time that I went back to ThunderClan. I belong there." _If they will take me back, _she thought afterwards. She frowned to herself.

"You can stay here with me!" Smokepaw offered. "Brackenclaw will teach me to hunt soon! Then I can catch rabbits for you and keep you safe! You can sleep in the apprentice's den with Ryepaw and I! It'll be fun!"

Skyeyes purred. "I don't want to trouble you," she chuckled. "Besides, I miss ThunderClan. I want to see Mother again."

Smokepaw frowned. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Sure you will. You'll see me at Gatherings and on border patrols."

"What am I gonna do for fun without you?"

Skyeyes laughed. "I'm sure you'll find better means of entertainment," she purred. "And you insult Brackenclaw by insinuating that he's no fun. I, personally, think that he can be…uh, interesting, at times."

"Interesting!" echoed Smokepaw. "That's a joke! He's dull as a stump! I can't believe Featherstar stuck me with _him _as my mentor! I'll die of boredom before I'm a warrior. Mark my words!"

"Smokepaw!" Skyeyes chuckled. "You're so silly. WindClan are lucky to have you. You'd make a great deputy one day."

Smokepaw smiled. "Then will you stay here to watch me do it?"

"I'll watch you from ThunderClan."

The smoky tom huffed. "Fine."

The two cats sat in silence, watching the moorland dance. Skyeyes was still captivated by it, even after spending a week here in WindClan's home. She missed the tall, shady oak trees and the soft feeling under paw of walking on a blanket of leaves. She would, however, always admire the beauty of the moorland. Smokepaw glanced at her sideways periodically as they sat. He frowned deeply, and Skyeyes smiled. He hated sitting still for anything.

"I'd better go find Emberfur," Skyeyes said, standing. She stretched carefully so as not to reopen her severe wound. "Walk with me?"

Smokepaw purred. "Okay."

They walked together with their shoulders brushing. Smokepaw frowned at the thought of Skyeyes going away. He'd lost the majority of his family to battles, and he saw her as an older sister of sorts. He wanted her around to play with and to talk to. He understood—after being scolded by Emberfur several times for jumping on Skyeyes' side—that she wasn't able to jump around like the other kits, but he didn't like playing with them much anyway. Flurrykit stuck to Whitecloud like glue. Snowkit never wanted to do anything. All he ever did was collect flowers. Skyeyes always knew what to do. She made up games for them to play like the hiding game where she'd bury herself in a patch of heather and make him come find her. The game is much harder than it sounds when one takes into consideration how powerful the scent of the heather is. She slowly trained him to be a better warrior by doing it in a way he understood. Another game he loved to play was the buzzard game. The two of them would find a piece of carrion and lie it out in the open for the birds to see. Then, they would have to hide so that the birds would land. Once there were enough birds around the kill, they'd burst out of the bushes and chase them all over the place. This game taught stealth and patience—two things Smokepaw lacked to this day. He asked Brackenclaw a hundred times if they could play some of the games during training, but the gray tom insisted that they were childish.

_How come everyone always leaves me_? Smokepaw thought angrily. _First Mom, then Dad, then Gorsekit and Heatherkit. Am I really that bad? _

They reached the WindClan camp soon after. Smokepaw led Skyeyes inside and towards Emberfur's den. Skyeyes dipped her head in greeting to Falconpaw and Ryepaw, the eldest pair of apprentices. Ryepaw, a yellow tom, purred back, and Falconpaw, a dark gray tabby, flicked his ears as he sunk his teeth into a crow. They passed Cloverstripe and her son Grousepaw as they shared tongues in a corner of the camp. Galestorm's patrol of Rustclaw and Thornwhisker nodded to the two of them as the warriors made their way to the warriors' den. Lastly, Skyeyes gave a soft greeting to Hazelfur, Rusclaw's mate, who sat outside the nursery with her four tiny kits: Adderkit, Weedkit, Berrykit, and Larchkit. They were only a half-moon old and were just coming out of the nursery for the first time. Skyeyes was beginning to like kits a bit more than she used to. Doveheart, a plump, pale gray queen, sat not far off, purring at the clumsy kits.

Smokepaw led her through the thick walls outside Emberfur's den and into the warmest, most covered place in camp. Inside, the skinny ginger tom was standing over Flurrykit, who struggled as he applied pressure to her bleeding paw.

"Hold still!" he commanded. The white she-cat squirmed and let out a cry of protest. "There." He got off and wrapped her paw up in cobwebs. "You're lucky it was only a pebble this time," Emberfur growled. "Be more careful!"

Flurrykit nodded and sulked off towards the nursery. Emberfur looked up and smiled. "Ah, at last." He gave the white kit one last look before padding over to them. "I thought that perhaps Smokepaw had forgotten where the camp was."

"Hey!" Smokepaw meowed as Skyeyes laughed. "You have so little faith in me!"

"I expect nothing less from the son of Flowertail and Boulderfur," Emberfur chuckled. "You've got no idea how much trouble your parents got into when they were kits!" He met Skyeyes' gaze. "They ran off together once, to do only StarClan knows what, and Boulderfur dragged her back to camp with a massive gash on her underside. Apparently they'd tried to make a nest out of an 'abandoned' badger set. The poor she-cat nearly bled to death." He smirked. "That's how I learned to put intestines back in," he said. "Brambleface made me watch even though I was a kit and had only showed a minor interest in medicine. He said the knowledge may come in handy one day."

"Ew!" Smokepaw exclaimed. "I don't want to hear any more embarrassing stories about my parents! Did you wanna see Skyeyes or not?"

"I did," Emberfur replied. He flicked his tail. "Come with me." He got up, and when he passed them, he narrowed his eyes at Smokepaw. "Not you," the ginger tom said.

"I-Is Skyeyes leaving?" Smokepaw stammered.

Emberfur nodded. "Cloverstripe and I are going to escort her to Fourtrees. Leopardclaw and Longstar will meet us there."

Smokepaw let out a squeak and buried his face in Skyeyes' scarred flank. "Please," he whispered. "Don't go…"

"Oh Smokepaw," she murmured, licking his ears. "You're a wonderful tom. You're going to grow up to be a great warrior, and you'll make your parents and WindClan very proud. I wish I could be here with you, but I need to go back to ThunderClan. That's where I belong."

Smokepaw sniffed and stepped back with tearful blue eyes. "B-Bye," he murmured. "I'll miss you."

"You kit!" scoffed Emberfur. "You'll see her at the Gathering! I'll make sure that Featherstar asks you to go this time, alright?"

The gray tom perked up. "Okay! Bye, Skyeyes! I'll see you soon!"

Skyeyes smiled and followed Emberfur out. The WindClan cats said their good-byes as she left, but as Emberfur said, she'd see them at the Gathering. She would miss being near them but wanted desperately to see her friends and family. Featherstar and Galestorm were waiting for her at the exit to the hollow. Skyeyes dipped her head to the silver-furred leader.

"You have done the forest a great service," Featherstar meowed. "I can never repay you."

"You have done _me _a great service," Skyeyes replied, "by allowing me to stay here for so long."

Featherstar waved it away with her tail. "It was nothing. Please journey safely back. "

Skyeyes nodded and turned to Galestorm. The blue-eyed tom scoffed and looked away. She could tell that he was grateful but didn't want to admit it. Emberfur told her that he hated admitting that he needed help for anything. His pride was wounded, apparently, by the fact that ThunderClan she-cat had broken the curse. Skyeyes smiled to him nonetheless. Despite his misgivings towards her, he'd always been sure that she got plenty of food.

"Thank you," she whispered to him.

"Let's go, Skyeyes," Cloverstripe meowed beside her. She flicked her tail up the slope to where Emberfur stood. "He'll leave without us if we don't go now."

Skyeyes gave the WindClan leader one last nod before jogging up to join the ginger tom. He led them through the maze of thick plants until they reached a break. Skyeyes could smell the scent of pine and grew excited. They pace was slow. Skyeyes couldn't run without risking re-injury to herself. She settled at a brisk walk, with Cloverstripe near by to hold her up. They finally arrived at Fourtrees by moonhigh. Skyeyes felt joy welling up in her when she whiffed the familiar scent of ThunderClan. She spotted Leopardclaw first. He with his back to her in the clearing, and she recognized the odd pattern of his spots. Cloverstripe stepped aside to let her charge down the hill as fast as she could towards him.

"Leopardclaw!" she cried joyfully. "I missed you!"

She threw herself onto the dappled tom before he even had a chance to turn around. Laughing, the two of them fell over. "Skyeyes!" Leopardclaw purred. "I missed you too." He gently got up and slid her onto the ground. "It's so good to see you alive."

"Yes, and I hope you can forgive us."

Skyeyes looked up and purred at Longstar as he padded over. She frowned when she examined him more closely. He looked terrible. His fur was tattered as if he'd suddenly gotten older, and there were streaks of gray running through it. He bent down and pressed his nose to hers.

"I'm so sorry, Skyeyes," Longstar mumbled, "for making you go through that."

"I don't blame you, Longstar," she replied. "I could never blame you."

Skyeyes got up slowly. She scanned the clearing for Sandstone or Bluestorm, but neither of them were to be seen. "Where are Mother and Sandstone?"

"In camp," Leopardclaw replied. "They're waiting for you."

_They were the best sight I've ever seen, standing there waiting for me. It gave me a lift. I felt like the world was giving me a sign that I could live again. They were giving me love and giving me…hope. _

_ Sandstone didn't leave my side for a quarter moon after I got back. Nightwhisker—yeah, that moron finally became a warrior—finally convinced him to give me some space right about the time I nearly took his ears off for following me to the dirt place. It was flattering to have him love me, but I didn't want him to smother me. I didn't want anyone to think that I couldn't stand on my own like Father told me I could. _

_ A few cats asked me if the scars were troublesome. I said no. As long as they don't bother Sandstone, they don't bother me. Besides, now I can never, ever look like Dawnpaw. I liked it that way. _

_ The days moved into weeks, the weeks into a moon, and the moon grew fat off of the insignificant moments that made up my fragile existence. Even with Sandstone around I found myself starving for excitement and for the reason that made me emerge from the Cave. Why hadn't I died along with the others? Why hadn't I gone to StarClan to be with them forever? My injuries kept me from doing warrior duties though Leopardclaw told me that when I'd finally healed, I'd be able to go out like any other cat. The time couldn't fly by fast enough. _

_ As the days ticked on, I felt a stirring in me. Something was growing. Something was threatening to burst forth from within me. I grew worried. What if one of the Dark Forest cats had possessed me? What if I was carrying some foul beast inside me? My worry grew, but I couldn't say a word. The Clan held me up as some kind of hero, as someone who could do no wrong. I forced myself to stay silent, and in my silence, I drowned. The day finally came that I knew I had to go to Leopardclaw. He was surprised to see me, but he heard me out regardless. I asked him one simple, short question. Everything I was and I everything I used to be hung on his answer. He smiled at me. He smiled and purred. And he said the worst possible word for me to hear. _

_ He said 'yes'. _

_ And my world came crashing down._

_

* * *

Ooh_, what was the question? What's in store for Skyeyes in the future? Will Skyeyes ever stop being an annoying, depressed kitty? PROBABLY NOT. But I'll be introducing better characters in the sequel, so read it for that! xD Please review even if you hated it!


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